Amid a widespread crackdown on the I Love Muhammed campaign, with the ultra-right UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warning those who protest against the crackdown of severe consequences that would be remembered for generations, UP Police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four Muslim men, accusing them of planning a violent jihad to topple the democratically elected Indian government and replace it with Sharia law.
The ATS identified the arrested as Akmal Raza from Sultanpur, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Razvi from Sonbhadra, Mohammad Tausif from Kanpur, and Qasim Ali from Rampur, and alleged that the men intended to form a Mujahideen army and procure weapons to advance their objectives, while claiming to have seized Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, credit cards, and other documents from their possession, The Indian Express reported.
According to the police, intelligence inputs claimed that the men, allegedly influenced by extremist organisations in Pakistan, were inciting people across districts of Uttar Pradesh by circulating audio messages and videos on social media groups while also raising funds to acquire weapons and materials to facilitate their activities.
The ATS alleged that the accused were not only organising meetings at various locations but were also plotting targeted killings of non-Muslim religious leaders, with claims pointing to detailed discussions in online groups where such attacks were being deliberated and coordinated.
Officials maintained that during interrogation, the arrested individuals admitted to planning jihad against non-believers as a means of avenging perceived atrocities against Muslims, and they were allegedly attempting to radicalise like-minded persons, recruit members, and set up a militant organisation committed to carrying out violent acts.
The police further stated that the four men were collecting, writing, and distributing jihadist literature to strengthen their base and propagate their ideology, while a case was registered at the ATS police station as part of the ongoing investigation into the alleged conspiracy.