The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked hundreds of Muslims in Muzaffarnagar for allegedly “disrupting peace” after they wore black armbands during Friday and Eid prayers to symbolically protest the Waqf Amendment Bill.
The protest, held within mosque premises, was described by participants as entirely peaceful, with no public provocation or breach of law. Yet, notices issued by City Magistrate Vikas Kashyap have been served to the demonstrators, accusing them of inciting the public and endangering law and order.
A notice issued under Section 130 of the Indian Civil Defence Code cites a challan from Civil Lines Police Station, stating that the respondents “wore black armbands during Friday and Eid prayers in protest against the Waqf Board Bill.” Authorities claim the act holds the potential to “spread misinformation” and disturb public order in the future.
All individuals named have been summoned to appear in court on April 16, 2025, and are required to submit surety bonds of Rs 2 lakh each. Among those issued notices is Naeem Tyagi, principal of Madrasa Mahmudiya, who reportedly did not even wear a black armband.
The move has caused unease across several Muslim-majority districts including Lucknow, Sambhal, Meerut, Moradabad, Amroha, Rampur, Aligarh, Agra, Bareilly, Firozabad, and Shamli. In response to growing tensions, the administration has deployed heavy security and issued alerts.
On Thursday, top law enforcement officials—including Muzaffarnagar SSP Satyanarayan Prajapat, DIG Saharanpur, and ADM (E) Narendra Bahadur Singh—conducted a flag march through sensitive areas in an effort to “reinforce security and maintain law and order.”
The crackdown comes amid rising apprehension over the implications of the Waqf Amendment Bill, recently passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which critics fear could erode the autonomy of Muslim endowment institutions.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com.