The Modi-led BJP regime in India has launched a sweeping crackdown on Muslims across several states for displaying or posting the slogan ‘I Love Muhammad’ in honour of Prophet Muhammad, with more than 2,500 people charged and dozens arrested, reported Al Jazeera.
According to Kashmir Media Service, police in BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand and occupied Jammu and Kashmir, have raided homes and markets, arrested Muslim men, and even bulldozed their houses — all for expressing devotion to the Prophet through posters, t-shirts, or social media posts.
The campaign began in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, when Muslims displayed illuminated ‘I Love Muhammad’ boards during Eid Milad-un-Nabi. On the complaints of Hindutva goons, police registered cases on charges of ‘promoting enmity on religious grounds,’ which carry up to five years’ imprisonment.
Protests soon spread to several other states after the arrests, leading to violent police crackdowns and further detentions. In Bareilly, police arrested 75 people, including prominent cleric Tauqeer Raza, and demolished several houses without court orders.
Legal experts and rights defenders cited by Al Jazeera said the expression ‘I Love Muhammad’ is not illegal under India’s constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and expression under Articles 25 and 19(1)(a). The Association for Protection of Civil Rights said authorities were misusing laws to criminalise Muslim identity.
Amnesty International described the campaign as ‘a deeply troubling precedent,’ warning that India’s targeting of peaceful religious expression violates both constitutional and international human rights standards.
Critics said the crackdown reflects the BJP’s long-running pattern of weaponising law against Muslims since Narendra Modi took power in 2014, while promoting majoritarian narratives that equate Islamic devotion with public disorder.
