Faith as a Crime: The Indian State Sponsored Criminalisation of the “I Love Muhammad” Slogan

A deeply alarming chapter in India’s erosion of minority rights is unfolding. Under the BJP, the state of Uttar Pradesh has launched a campaign to criminalise basic Muslim expression. The recent crackdown on citizens for the slogan “I love Muhammad” is a frightening example of state-supported oppression. This is not about public order, but a planned attack on 38 million Muslims, turning a declaration of faith into a crime of promoting hate. This article examines this repression and the methods used to create fear and destroy constitutional rights.

A Methodical Plan of Attack

The government’s reaction was not random but a planned suppression of religious feeling. The events show a clear pattern of state power used to quickly punish a minority for a peaceful observance.

♦ Kanpur as the Starting Point: On September 4, 2025, in Kanpur, police removed a sign saying “I love Muhammad” after a Hindu group complained, signaling such expressions were not allowed.

♦ Legal Action as a Weapon: An FIR was filed the next day against nine Muslims and others. This jump from a minor issue to serious criminal charges set a threatening tone.

♦ Repression Spreads to Bareilly: By September 10, another FIR was filed in Bareilly. A resulting protest on September 26 was met with a violent police charge, mass arrests, and an internet shutdown.

Targeting Muslim Areas

The locations were not random. Actions focused on large Muslim areas to send a direct message of fear and control.

♦ Syed Nagar as Ground Zero: The first incident in Kanpur’s Syed Nagar, a mainly Muslim area, shows a clear plan to target community spaces and police religious identity.

♦ The Bareilly Shrine Flashpoint: Protests in Bareilly centred on its historic shrine. The violent crackdown there was a symbolic attack, showing the state’s readiness to violate a sacred space.

A Massive Community Under Siege

The severity is clear from the population figures. This is not an action against a small group but a campaign against one of the world’s largest Muslim populations.

♦ A Population of 38 Million Attacked: UP is home to 38 million Muslims, nearly 20 percent of its population. The Adityanath government’s actions are an attack on an essential part of Indian society.

♦ Thousands Trapped in Legal Cases: The number of people targeted is shocking, with reports of over 2,500 named in FIRs. This tactic aims to paralyze the community in a legal nightmare.

Key Figures in the Crisis

A sharp difference exists between the words of state officials and the suffering community. Government justifications coldly contrast with condemnations from activists.

♦ The State’s Callous Justification: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a BJP hardliner, defended the crackdown. He chillingly called the demolitions mere “denting-painting,” a cruel term that mocks the destruction of homes and lives.

♦ Voices of Warning: Leaders like Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, later arrested, warned this would backfire. Activist Sumaiya Rana said the BJP’s goal is to create fear so Muslims cannot practice their basic religious rights.

Legal and State Power as Weapons

This episode is defined by the misuse of legal power for collective punishment. The law is twisted not for justice, but to enforce a majoritarian political agenda.

♦ Punitive Legal Cases: Registering over 22 FIRs using sections 153A and 295A is a complete abuse of the legal process. These laws are being used against the community they were meant to protect.

♦ The Tyranny of the Bulldozer: The bulldozer is the most brutal tool. Despite Supreme Court warnings, authorities in Bareilly destroyed homes and businesses of the accused, delivering economic ruin before any trial.

A Wider Pattern of Discrimination

This is not a one-time event. It is a clear sign of a deep problem in Modi’s India, where discrimination against Muslims is now a normal part of state policy.

♦ Biased Policing: The state’s double standards are clear. Peaceful Muslim slogans are criminalized, while large Hindu processions, often with weapons and aggressive slogans, get police protection.

♦ Attacking the Constitution: These actions directly violate the Indian Constitution. The state is ignoring Article 25 (freedom of religion) and Article 14 (equality), making these rights useless for Muslims.

Grave Consequences for India

The results of this oppression go far beyond UP. They are badly damaging India’s reputation as a secular democracy and revealing the intolerant truth of its current path.

♦ Destroying India’s Secular Image: Such state-driven intolerance exposes India’s claim to be a secular democracy as a lie. It shows a nation at war with its minorities, raising global human rights alarms.

♦ A Political Strategy: This crackdown is clearly political. By crushing minorities to please its hardline Hindu vote bank, the BJP is using state machinery to win elections and create fear.

Conclusion: A Clear Case of Persecution

The events in UP are a dark reflection of India under the Modi and Adityanath governments. Turning “I love Muhammad” into a crime is a symbol of a wider pattern of state-sponsored persecution. It shows the decay of democratic values, the use of the legal system as a weapon, and selective justice to terrorize one community. We are not witnessing the rule of law. We are seeing the calculated destruction of a community’s right to exist with dignity and faith. This is the new reality of India, where expressing love for one’s Prophet is now a state-punished crime.