Tensions Flare in Bareilly: Yogi Adityanath Issues Stern Warning

In the wake of Friday's unrest in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a stringent warning against any disruption to law and order. The violent clashes between police and locals came after a cancelled protest endorsing the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign.

Speaking at a 'Viksit UP' media event, Adityanath appeared to directly confront cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, who initially spurred the demonstration call. Referring to unnamed individuals, Adityanath remarked on past tendencies to halt state functions, emphasizing that current governance would not tolerate such interruptions.

The clashes followed the authorities' last-minute revocation of the planned protest by Khan. District Magistrate Avinash Singh confirmed the enforcement of Section 163, requiring authorization for public gatherings, which was defied by demonstrators. State officials decried the events as a calculated scheme to undermine regional development and the Noida International Trade Show.

(With inputs from agencies.)