Who is Tauqeer Khan, in eye of ‘I Love Muhammad’ storm

Lucknow: In recent days, Uttar Pradesh has seen multiple demonstrations in support of the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign. However, in Bareilly, one such protest turned violent after Friday prayers, leading to a clash between demonstrators and police. The protest was called by the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan.

There was heavy stone pelting, leaving several people injured. Police have filed 10 cases at five different police stations, naming 55-year-old Maulana Tauqeer as the main accused in seven of them. On Saturday, Bareilly Police arrested him along with seven others, while another 39 were taken into custody.

FIRs were later lodged against 24 people for removing a traditional tent and placing the banner at another spot, which was considered to be disturbing communal harmony.

The issue escalated further on 15 September when AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi posted on X, tagging Kanpur Police and saying that showing love for the Prophet was not a crime.

On 19 September, Tauqeer Raza announced that protests over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ controversy would be held after Friday prayers, saying they would go ahead “at any cost.”

This is not the first time Maulana Tauqeer has drawn public attention. His name has been linked to communal riots for decades.

As per UP Police records, the first FIR against him was registered in 1982 for inciting violence. More cases followed in 1987, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2007 and 2010 when he was accused of playing a central role in riots at Premnagar police station in Bareilly.

He is also an accused in the 2010 Juloos-e-Mohammadi violence, which left several policemen injured and led to curfew for 27 days. An eighth FIR was lodged in 2019 at Kotwali police station, ninth in Sambhal in 2020 and another in 2023 at Faridpur. Despite this long list, he had largely avoided jail until now.

A senior official from the chief minister’s office remarked, “Each time Maulana grew more emboldened and kept pressuring the police administration. This time, under the Yogi government, his attempt to incite violence proved costly. He was arrested the very night of the riot and sent to jail the next morning.”

A senior Bareilly Police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Tauqeer has maintained political connections across parties. Though he has been arrested this time, in the past he always managed to avoid jail. His reach was not limited to opposition leaders but extended to the ruling party as well, as he belongs to a prestigious family of Bareilly. It is said that a former BJP MP from Bareilly enjoyed close ties with him. While that leader is no longer very active in the district, his influence once helped Tauqeer escape arrest. In 2010, he was detained for a few hours but released shortly after. This is the first time he is likely to remain in jail for at least two weeks.”

An influential cleric 

Tauqeer Raza Khan is not just a cleric but also a political figure. Part of the prestigious Aala Hazrat family of the Barelvi sect, he is a descendant of Ahmed Raza Khan, the sect’s founder. His brother, Maulana Subhan Raza Khan (Subhani Miyan), heads the Aala Hazrat Dargah, while his nephew, Mufti Ahsan Raza Khan, is its current Sajjadanashin (a senior leader).

Tauqeer Raza founded the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, a regional party, in 2001. The IMC contested 20 seats in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh elections, but won only one seat in the Bhojipura constituency. In 2017, they did not win any seat.

In 2009, Raza’s party extended support to the Congress. Four years later, in 2013, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal visited Bareilly to meet him, after which Raza appealed in Kejriwal’s favour during the Lok Sabha elections. At that time, Kejriwal was attempting to expand AAP’s base beyond Delhi.

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Raza announced support for the SP-BSP alliance, while dismissing the Congress as a “vote-katua party”. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, however, he once again backed the Congress.

Raza has been active for over two decades, holding influence in Bareilly and adjoining districts. His father, Hazrat Rehan Khan, was once a Congress MLC. As per media reports, in the aftermath of the 2010 Bareilly riots, the Bareilly district court took suo motu cognisance and, in March 2024, identified him as the mastermind, while also censuring senior police and administrative officials for acting under political pressure. Summons were later issued against him, and for failing to appear before the court, he was declared an absconder in 2024.

Praise for Yogi and controversial statements

Raza’s past statements have frequently made headlines. On one occasion, he praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for maintaining social harmony in the state. In 2022, he noted that the Yogi government had promptly acted against Hindu youths who tried to create disturbances by entering mosques wearing skull caps. He even remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should learn ‘rajdharma’ from Yogi.

However, many of his other remarks have stirred controversies. In February 2024, he declared that he would never leave Gyanvapi, claimed there was “no rule of law” in India, and criticised the Babri Masjid verdict. Later, in September 2024, he described the RSS, Bajrang Dal, and VHP as “terrorist organisations” and demanded they be banned. Earlier, in March 2023, he alleged that Muslims were being denied justice under the Modi government and controversially suggested that bulldozers be used against those involved in killing Muslims.

On 19 September 2025, amid the “I Love Muhammad” controversy, Raza declared that protests would go ahead after Friday prayers “at any cost”.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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