“Peaceful” IMC Leader Threatens Police in Bareilly

Bareilly is once again in the headlines over a viral video threatening Uttar Pradesh’s police. What started as a routine police action to remove unauthorized “I Love Muhammad” posters spiraled into a full-blown political and communal flashpoint.

Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) leader Dr. Nafees Khan gets caught on camera openly threatening a police officer with physical violence.

His words shall stun even seasoned lawmen. However, the “peaceful” fires of Bareilly are igniting similar storms all over Bharat. The trend of “I Love Muhammed” is turning into a communal riot that threatens to burn Bharat during Navratri! 

“Peaceful” Threat Caught on Camera

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, is on edge after a viral video showed Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) leader Dr. Nafees Khan issuing open threats to a police officer. The controversy began when police removed posters reading “I Love Muhammad” in the Qila police station area on Sunday, 21st September 2015.

Station in-charge Subhash Kumar had reached the spot with his team to take down the banners, reportedly put up without official clearance.

The action drew sharp opposition from “peaceful” locals, leading to heated exchanges. Amid this, Dr. Nafees Khan, a known “peaceful” supporter of cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, soon arrived at the scene. Thereafter, he got caught on camera allegedly threatening the SHO, declaring he would “cut off his hand and strip his uniform.”

The vicious “peaceful” video quickly spread across social media, sparking outrage.

UP Police have since registered a case against Dr. Nafees and launched an investigation.

“Peaceful” Protests Spread Beyond Bareilly

What began in Bareilly soon spilled into Kanpur, Unnao, Lucknow, and parts of Uttarakhand. Protests erupted in several districts after police moved to remove similar posters. The action is not against the trend of “I Love Mohammed”. Instead, it is against putting such posters on government property without proper consent. 

Most such demonstrations turned “peacefully” violent with stone-pelting, invoking a retaliation with a lathi-charge.

In multiple areas, the situation escalated into clashes, forcing police to file cases against demonstrators. The controversy ties back to the Barawafat procession, during which light banners with the slogan “I Love Muhammad” were displayed. A new ritual that aims to provoke enemity between relgious gruops was deliberately intriduced. Hindu groups raised objections, leading to a cycle of confrontation, protests, and arrests across districts.

The Larger Debate

The episode has ignited debate about law, order, and provocation. On one hand, the “peacefuls” want the administration to hold religious bias. However, these “peacefuls” also want to dominate public space and plaster provocative posters across public spaces without permission. 

“Peaceful” Gangs are treating riots and more on the removal of a poster that they presume to be an attack on faith!

What makes this case particularly sensitive is the direct threat issued to a uniformed police officer by a political figure. It raises an unsettling question: if elected or influential leaders openly challenge law enforcement with such language, what message does it send about respect for the rule of law? Bareilly’s poster row is no longer just about a slogan.

India’s police forces face their Agni Pariksha – will they be able to control these “peacefully” violent mobs?