India arrests 10 Muslims over ‘I Love Muhammad’ posters amid rising tensions
Police across the state of Uttar Pradesh claim the posters threaten “communal harmony,” deepening concerns over religious profiling and shrinking space for Muslim expression
NEW DELHI, India — At least ten Muslims have been arrested across India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly sharing or displaying “I Love Muhammad” posters and videos, in what police describe as attempts to “disturb communal harmony.” Rights groups, however, see the crackdown as part of a broader campaign to criminalize Muslim religious expression.
According to The Observer Post, the arrests took place in multiple districts over the past week. In Muzaffarnagar, police detained 30-year-old Nadeem, a cloth trader who works in Mumbai, accusing him of posting a “provocative” video on social media.
Authorities charged him under India’s new criminal code — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — using provisions related to public mischief, provocation, and endangering “sovereignty and unity.”
In the nearby city of Meerut, officers arrested nine others in two separate incidents. Four men were taken into custody for allegedly circulating an audio message on WhatsApp that police claimed could “incite unrest,” while five others were arrested for putting up “I Love Muhammad” posters at a crowded intersection. Police said the display led to protests by local residents the following morning.
The wave of arrests follows an earlier case in Kanpur, where police detained several Muslims in September for carrying the same slogan during Milad-un-Nabi processions — a festival marking the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.
The incident sparked demonstrations and a nationwide solidarity campaign, with many Muslims changing their social media profile photos and displaying the phrase outside shops and homes.
Observers note that the phrase “I Love Muhammad” is an expression of devotion commonly used in Islamic gatherings worldwide. Yet, in recent months, it has become a flashpoint in India’s increasingly polarized atmosphere, where displays of Muslim identity are often framed as provocations.
Civil rights advocates warn that the latest arrests signal a growing pattern of selective policing and intimidation in the name of maintaining “harmony.” They say the criminalization of such expressions deepens mistrust between communities and undermines India’s secular constitutional principles.
The crackdown comes amid escalating religious polarization in Uttar Pradesh, where the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been repeatedly accused of targeting Muslims through discriminatory laws and selective law enforcement.
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