2 held in UP for 'objectionable posts' on Adityanath

Shahjahanpur (UP), Sep 28 (PTI) Two people were arrested here in separate incidents for allegedly making "objectionable posts" against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on social media, police said on Sunday.

This follows increased scrutiny of social media platforms by police in the wake of Friday’s violence in neighbouring Bareilly over the ‘I love Muhammad’ campaign.

One complaint lodged in the Nigohi area was related to an alleged "distorted image" of Adityanath posted on Facebook. A case was registered, and the accused, Sohel Qureshi, was arrested on Saturday, Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi told PTI.

In another incident, a man, Iqrar, was arrested from the Khutar area on Saturday for allegedly uploading "abusive content" against the chief minister on social media, the SP said.

District unit president of the Samajwadi Party, Tanveer Khan, alleged that while Shahjahanpur is known for its “Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb” (composite culture), some people are deliberately trying to disturb communal harmony by posting provocative remarks against the Muslim community.

He claimed that after last week’s dispute in the Sadar Bazar area over an "objectionable post" about Prophet Muhammad and "inflammatory comments" against the minority community, which have been circulating on social media, but police have failed to act on them.

Khan said he has already submitted a written complaint to the SP demanding action two days ago and would soon meet him again if the situation persisted.

SP Dwivedi assured that the party leader’s complaint was taken seriously and an inquiry is underway.

The media monitoring cell is continuously keeping watch on social media, and action is being taken against anyone posting inflammatory content, he said.

In view of the Bareilly incident, police and district administration have also intensified security measures in Shahjahanpur, including flag marches and riot control drills.

Tensions erupted in several districts of Uttar Pradesh recently, including Barabanki, Mau and Muzaffarnagar, after violent protests in Bareilly over the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign after Friday prayers, with police carrying out overnight house-to-house raids to nab the "culprits", arresting Raza in the process. PTI COR ABN ANM ABN ANM SKY SKY