UP police term ‘I Love Muhammad’ objectionable, fine Muslim youth for sticker on bike

Since the unilateral action against Muslims who gathered over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign by the UP Police, a number of incidents targeting Muslims have been exposed, as the reported case of intimidation of a Muslim youth by a police officer in UP — who was fined for the ‘I Love Muhammad’ sticker on his bike and was told it was ‘objectionable’ — shows how deeply fanaticism is rooted in the police system, drawing netizens’ reactions and questioning the police action taken only against Muslims and not against Hindus who write ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on their bikes.

Videos of the incident surfaced on Monday, October 6, where the young man described his ordeal, alleging that the officer stopped him for the sticker and declared the slogan “objectionable.” In the footage, a traffic police officer can be heard saying, “This word is objectionable. Anyone who wants to show the video can do so,” while another officer is seen recording the scene. The incident quickly gained traction on social media, where users condemned what they termed as discriminatory policing.

Several social media users questioned the inconsistency in law enforcement, saying that vehicles with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ or other religious symbols are not penalised. One user commented that if slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’ are not violations of traffic rules, then ‘I Love Muhammad’ should not be treated differently, emphasising that the rules should be uniform for all citizens. Others demanded disciplinary action against the officer, accusing him of inciting communal tension through his behaviour.

The controversy over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ slogan first erupted in Kanpur, where police arrested dozens of young Muslims for displaying banners with the phrase during Milad-un-Nabi processions. The arrests triggered protests across several cities, with demonstrators carrying the same banner, displaying it on shopfronts, and even changing their social media profile pictures in solidarity with those detained.

A report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) revealed that 21 FIRs have been filed nationwide in connection with the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign, naming 1,324 Muslims and resulting in 38 arrests. Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for 16 of these FIRs, with more than 1,000 accused across districts such as Unnao, Kaushambi, and Baghpat. Unnao recorded eight cases with 85 accused and five arrests; Kaushambi saw 24 accused and three arrests; while Baghpat registered 150 accused and two arrests.