NEW DELHI: More than 2,500 people have been charged across India after writing or displaying the slogan “I Love Muhammad”, a reference to the Prophet Muhammad, triggering a nationwide debate over religious freedom and state suppression.
The crackdown — concentrated in states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — has led to dozens of arrests, house demolitions, and widespread protests.
Authorities allege that the slogan threatens “public order,” but rights groups argue it’s a peaceful expression of faith being selectively criminalised.
The Origin of the Crackdown
The controversy began on September 4 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during celebrations of Eid al-Milad al-Nabi, which marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
A local Muslim neighborhood installed an illuminated board reading “I Love Muhammad,” modeled after the famous “I Love New York” design. Some Hindu residents objected, claiming it violated state rules on introducing new religious displays.
The police escalated the situation by charging more than two dozen Muslims with promoting religious enmity—a serious offense carrying up to five years in jail.
Protests quickly spread to other states, including Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. T-shirts, posters, and social media posts with the “I Love Muhammad” message appeared across the country as a form of peaceful resistance.
Police Raids, Arrests, and Bulldozers
In Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh — roughly 270km from Kanpur — a protest led by Imam Tauqeer Raza on September 26 turned violent. Police responded with mass arrests, detaining 75 people, including the imam and his relatives. Authorities then bulldozed at least four homes belonging to the accused, continuing a pattern of punitive demolitions targeting Muslim communities.
Such demolitions, often carried out without court orders or prior notice, have been criticised by India’s Supreme Court of India, which has stated that demolitions cannot be used as a form of extra-legal punishment. Despite this, activists say the practice continues unchecked in many BJP-ruled states.
Meanwhile, arrests have been reported in other states, including Gujarat, for nothing more than posting the slogan on social media.
Is Saying ‘I Love Muhammad’ Illegal in India?
India’s Constitution of India guarantees both freedom of religion (Article 25) and freedom of speech (Article 19(1)(a)). Legal experts say no law criminalizes the statement “I Love Muhammad.”
However, police have used public order and incitement provisions to prosecute those displaying the slogan, a tactic human rights groups call “legally flimsy but politically motivated.”
Nadeem Khan of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) told Al Jazeera that authorities are deliberately targeting those who use or defend the slogan — not the slogan itself.
“They know there is no law criminalising ‘I Love Muhammad’,” Khan said. “The government cannot selectively criminalise a faith.”
Human Rights Alarm
Amnesty International India chair Aakar Patel warned that the crackdown violates India’s legal and international human rights obligations.
“Targeting people for slogans such as ‘I Love Muhammad’, which is peaceful and devoid of any incitement, does not meet the threshold for criminal restriction under Indian or international law,” Patel said.
“The role of the state is to safeguard rights equally, not police expressions of belief.”
A Pattern of Targeting Muslims
Critics say this is part of a broader pattern of marginalising Indian Muslims under Modi’s government. Hate speech incidents have risen 74% in just one year, with most occurring in BJP-ruled states.
Local disputes between Hindu and Muslim communities are increasingly turning into national flashpoints, amplified by partisan media and online networks.
In Modi’s own constituency of Varanasi, BJP leaders responded to the Kanpur episode by putting up posters reading “I Love Bulldozer” — a taunting reference to the destruction of Muslim homes.
Impact on Young Muslims
Many of those arrested are young Muslims, some detained for wearing t-shirts or sharing posts with the slogan. Analysts warn that this climate of fear and surveillance is deepening alienation among Muslim youth.
“In theory, everyone is already guilty and can face action for just being,” political analyst Asim Ali told Al Jazeera. “The tempo of hate is increasing day by day.”
Rasheed Kidwai, another analyst, noted that the row is “overtly political, not religious”, reflecting broader identity tensions in India.
A Constitutional Stress Test
The “I Love Muhammad” crackdown has become a test of India’s constitutional commitments to freedom of religion and expression. Rights groups warn that selective enforcement of laws based on identity could undermine democratic norms in the world’s largest democracy.
The story is a re-written version from Al Jazeera
