After recent violence in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, the district administration demolished several illegal buildings in the city. This included a marriage hall owned by one of the people accused in the violence. The clashes happened on September 26 after Friday prayers, when a protest over “I Love Muhammad” posters was cancelled. Several people were hurt in the violence.
Demolition of Nafees Ahmed’s Raja Palace
On Saturday morning, Raja Palace, a marriage hall owned by Dr Nafees Ahmed in the Jakhira area, was demolished by Bareilly Development Authority teams in the presence of a heavy police force. Dr Nafees, was among those arrested in connection with the violence. “Bulldozer action is being taken on the Raza Palace by the BDA,” Joint Secretary of the Bareilly Development Authority, Deepak Kumar, told ANI.
However, the officials said the bulldozer action was taken due to violations of building norms. The signboard at one of the locations where the action was taken showed that the property belonged to Mutawalli Shoaib Beg, son of the late Athar Beg, a former PCS officer. In Faik Enclave, the authorities sealed a house owned by Farhat, where Maulana Tauqeer Raza was reportedly hiding during the recent violence.
बरेली, यूपी: मौलाना तौकीर रजा के करीबी डॉक्टर नफीस अहमद के बैंक्विट हॉल पर बुलडोजर चला है। ये डॉ नफीस वही है जिन्होंने पुलिस के हाथ काट देने की धमकी दी थी। फिलहाल गिरफ्तार है। pic.twitter.com/74EhdqIMWw
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Opposition leaders criticized the demolition, saying the government did not give the required 15-day notice. Samajwadi Party leader IP Singh said officers cannot act like judges on their own.
What happened on September 26
The “I Love Muhammad” controversy began in early September 2025. A banner reading “I Love Muhammad” was displayed in Kanpur during the Mawlid-un-Nabi procession. This act led to disputes between Hindus and Muslims in the Rawatpur area. The tense situation arose as both the communities started tearing off each other’s posters. This triggered similar actions in the surrounding areas also, prompting protests and the spread of similar banners across Uttar Pradesh
However, on September 26 in Bareilly, a protest supporting the “I Love Muhammad” campaign turned violent after Friday prayers. They clashed with police, leading to stone-pelting, vehicle vandalism, and injuries to several officers. 50 individuals were detained, and the key organisers, including cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan were arrested. The unrest prompted a 48-hour internet shutdown in Bareilly to prevent the spread of rumours and maintain public order.
The police have so far Police have lodged 10 FIRs and booked hundreds of people. It included unidentified persons also in connection with the violence. Apart from cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, his aides and some relatives have so far been arrested.
Reports say that Bareilly officials had earlier found eight illegal properties linked to people close to the Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief cleric. These properties were marked for possible demolition. Teams from the Bareilly Development Authority and the district administration inspected areas like Faiq Enclave, Jagatpur, and the old city. They found many buildings made without approved plans, and some built on government or restricted land.
