Seven Muslims booked over ‘I Love Mohammad’ posters after mosque demolition in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow:Authorities in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh have registered a criminal case against seven Muslims after demolishing a mosque in Sambhal district and recovering posters bearing the slogan “I Love Mohammad” and green Islamic flags from the premises, drawing criticism from Muslim leaders who say ordinary expressions of faith are increasingly being criminalized in Modi’s India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the case was registered following the demolition of the Mustafa Qadri Mosque during a so-called anti-encroachment operation, with authorities claiming the structure had been built on government cemetery land.
Police said posters carrying the phrase “I Love Mohammad” and green flags commonly associated with Islamic identity were recovered from inside the mosque. Additional Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh said legal action was initiated after authorities found what they termed “objectionable material” during the demolition process.
Muslim leaders, however, questioned the police action, arguing that the recovered items were ordinary religious symbols routinely displayed in mosques and Islamic institutions and could not be treated as objectionable.
The demolition followed a dispute over land ownership, with authorities alleging that the mosque occupied land recorded as a cemetery. Local residents and mosque representatives rejected the claim, maintaining that the mosque had existed for decades and served the local Muslim community.
The incident sparked outrage among Muslim groups, who said that expressions of Islamic faith, including slogans praising Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and religious flags, were increasingly being subjected to official scrutiny.
Member of Parliament Zia-ur-Rehman Barq also condemned the demolition and subsequent legal action, saying, “I will say ‘I Love Muhammad’. If you have courage, hang me.”
The incident has renewed concerns among Muslim organizations over growing targeting of mosques, Islamic symbols and religious expression in India, particularly in BJP-ruled states.
