Tensions flare in Godhra after a local youth, identified in social media posts as Zakir Jhabha, posts a short video showing a poster reading “#ILoveMuhammad ﷺ” and is subsequently summoned to the B-Division police station, where he and his supporters say he is beaten.
The allegation sparked a protest outside the station and an altercation that police say later turned into vandalism.
Local media and social posts say Jhabha recorded a clip of the poster and uploaded it to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Within days, videos and eyewitness accounts shared online show crowds gathering outside the B-Division outpost after reports that officers had called the youth in for questioning.
Protesters allege he was subjected to physical abuse while in custody; the claims are circulating widely on Facebook, Instagram reels and X.
Police say the youth was summoned as part of an inquiry into a social-media post that had the potential to inflame communal tensions ahead of local festivities. Authorities contend the visit was intended as a warning; they deny any custodial assault in public statements cited to local reporters.
Hours after the summons, a mob attacked an outpost of the B-Division police station: furniture is overturned, papers burned, and stones reportedly struck an armoured police vehicle, officials say. At least 25 people are arrested so far and 88 names are being investigated in connection with rioting and vandalism, Times of India reported.
The Godhra unrest follows similar controversies in other states involving displays reading “I Love Muhammad,” including FIRs in Kanpur and banner removals in Mumbai.
In Mumbai, police in Saki Naka reportedly removed a banner with the message “#ILoveMuhammad ﷺ”, citing concerns it could incite unrest.
The action drew criticism from advocates and community members, who questioned why similar restrictions were not imposed on banners of “Jai Shri Ram” displayed widely across the city.
Advocate Rukhsana Sayed posted on social media asking why the Mumbai Police had objections to one banner but not the other, tagging local Congress MLA Naseem Khan and other political leaders.
Related to this, a week ago, controversy surfaced in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where police registered FIRs against nearly two dozen people after posters reading “I Love Muhammad ﷺ” appeared in parts of the city.
Speaking on the controversy, human rights activist Nadeem Khan said, “The Uttar Pradesh police is afflicted with a serious disease called Islamophobia. While hundreds of temporary structures for festivals like Durga Puja and Ganesh Puja are set up each year without any legal consequences, the moment Muslims express their faith, it is criminalised.”
He added, “Why don’t the police act against those who raise provocative slogans outside mosques or disrupt public order during the Kanwar Yatra?”
The recent disputes have sparked concerns among rights activists over freedom of religious expression and the perceived unequal enforcement of law and order.
Critics argue that the removal of Islamic banners, arrests and FIRs highlight a pattern of discriminatory policing. Officials, however, maintain that restrictions are imposed to prevent potential communal flare-ups.
The series of incidents come at a time of heightened religious sensitivities in several states, where local disputes over displays and slogans have often escalated into wider confrontations.
