BJP-led state seals showroom of cancer-stricken Muslim leader in India
Authorities seal showroom of ailing Muslim leader in Bareilly without notice, sparking outrage over anti-Muslim bias and impunity
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Authorities in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, ruled by Hindu militant monk and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, have sealed the motorcycle showroom of a Muslim councillor battling cancer — the latest in a string of punitive actions seen as part of an anti-muslim campaign.
According to Clarion India, officials from the Bareilly Development Authority (BDA) arrived at the showroom of Samajwadi Party councillor Munna Khan on Sunday and ordered everyone to leave before locking the premises.
No written notice or legal explanation was provided. “They just came, told us to vacate, and sealed the doors,” said an employee present at the scene.
The action comes in the wake of a police crackdown after protests erupted on September 26 in support of the “I Love Muhammad” campaign — a peaceful show of devotion to Prophet Muhammad that authorities later claimed turned violent.
Videos from that day show police baton-charging demonstrators, many of them Muslim, while residents insist the crowd was largely non-violent.
Since the unrest, the administration has filed more than 120 cases and made over 80 arrests, most of them targeting Muslims associated with the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) led by cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza.
Analysts say the state’s response has gone far beyond restoring order, amounting instead to a campaign of collective punishment against the community.
Councillor Munna Khan, who is undergoing cancer treatment, denied any role in the protest or links to Tauqeer Raza’s group. “I had gone to the hospital with my grandson that day. Everything is recorded on CCTV. Yet my property was sealed without cause — only because I’m Muslim,” he said.
BDA officials claimed the sealing was part of an “anti-encroachment drive,” but provided no documentation or proof of violations. The Samajwadi Party condemned the move as politically motivated, accusing the state government of weaponizing institutions to silence Muslim representatives and opposition leaders.
Human rights advocates have warned that such actions are eroding public faith in due process. “If there are violations, prosecute them lawfully,” said one activist working with local minorities. “But sealing shops and demolishing homes without notice is a form of state intimidation.”
The incident has deepened fear among Bareilly’s Muslim residents, many of whom say they are being targeted under the pretext of law enforcement. “This is not about one man or one shop,” Munna said. “It’s about a message being sent — that Muslims who speak or even exist visibly can be punished.”
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