“Absolutely authoritarian rule”: Congress’ Danish Ali on house arrest
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Congress leader Kunwar Danish Ali slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for putting him under house arrest in Amroha, calling it a blatant show of authoritarian control. This happened as he tried to head to Bareilly following a violent clash over “I Love Muhammad” posters on September 26.
Ali, speaking to reporters from outside his home, didn’t hold back. “This is absolutely authoritarian rule—you’re turning this into a police state,” he said. “What meaning is left of democracy now? If elected representatives, the voices of the people, are being silenced, what does that say? This government is completely inhuman. It’s an oppressive regime because they’ve realized their power is slipping away.”
He tied the crackdown to fears over Rahul Gandhi’s push to spotlight alleged electoral fraud in Uttar Pradesh. “The way Rahul Gandhi has exposed vote theft before the entire country has struck a chord with the people,” Ali added. “They now believe this government came to power through electoral fraud. That’s why they’re resorting to conspiracies to destabilize the state and incite communal polarization.”
Ali said police showed up at his place around 10:30 p.m. without any warrant or explanation. “I haven’t been shown any warrant—someone should at least tell me why I’m being stopped,” he complained. He was traveling alone to Bareilly to appeal for peace and urge calm after the unrest. In a direct warning to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP government, and UP police, Ali said: “I am warning the Chief Minister, Yogi BJP government, and the UP Police to abandon these oppressive policies.”
Fellow Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi echoed the outrage on X (formerly Twitter), labeling the house arrest a “outright dictatorship.” “In a democracy, the government is so fearful of the opposition that it has placed guards to prevent leaders who are going to meet the police administration from even leaving their homes,” he posted.
Pratapgarhi also took aim at CM Yogi’s comments on the Bareilly case. “The way the Chief Minister is issuing statements… is not only condemnable but also incites the police to take one-sided action,” he wrote. “For a person holding a constitutional position, every citizen of the state is their own; at the very least, the head of the state should maintain linguistic decorum.”
Meanwhile, Bareilly police ramped up their response to the violence. They arrested 56 people, including Nadeem Khan, whom they called a key figure in stirring up the unrest. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya confirmed the arrests, saying Nadeem helped incite the clashes.
The trouble started after Friday prayers when protesters gathered outside Ala Hazrat Dargah and the home of IMC chief Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan. Holding “I Love Muhammad” placards, the crowd turned rowdy, pelting stones at police and causing injuries along with damage to public property. Authorities blame provocative WhatsApp messages for firing up the group.
On Sunday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hit out at the “miscreants” behind the Bareilly violence during a public meeting in Balrampur. He vowed tough police action, referencing a lathi charge on the protesters. “A few individuals should not be allowed to spoil the environment,” Yogi said. “These are the same people who brought an identity crisis to Uttar Pradesh along with the corrupt governments. There were no investments or developments in the state because of them.”
Yogi warned that the troublemakers are trying new tricks but won’t get away with it. “They must remember that we are more prepared than they think. They will be beaten just as they were beaten in Bareilly,” he added.
The chief minister also condemned the “I Love Muhammad” posters as foolish and harmful. “These fools don’t even know that symbols of faith are honored, not loved,” he said. “Faith isn’t something to be displayed at crossroads; it’s a matter of conscience. Some people are creating chaos in society by giving small children posters of ‘I Love Muhammad.’ They don’t even realize that their own lives are already ruined, but they’re hell-bent on ruining the lives of these children as well.”
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