Saharanpur, Oct 1 Congress MP Imran Masood was placed under house arrest by the Uttar Pradesh Police, hours before he was scheduled to leave for Bareilly on Wednesday, in the wake of violent protests linked to the 'I Love Muhammad' row.
A heavy police presence has been deployed outside his residence in Saharanpur since late Tuesday night to prevent his movement.
Masood, speaking to IANS, confirmed that he and his delegation had planned to visit Bareilly to review the situation on the ground.
"We had planned to go to Bareilly, and the entire delegation was on its way. There, we were supposed to meet the officials, the DIG and the ADG, and review the prevailing situation. We are guardians of peace and, under no circumstances, do we promote hatred," he said.
He added that the government's approach was "discriminatory".
"However, all the sides should understand the problem. Now, the country works by two types of laws, one for us and one for others," Masood stated.
The unrest in Bareilly broke out on September 26 when a large crowd carrying 'I Love Muhammad' posters gathered outside a mosque after cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan cancelled a planned demonstration.
The protest quickly spiralled into violence, prompting police to launch a crackdown.
Tauqeer Raza Khan, who heads the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, was arrested a day later on charges of instigating the violence and is currently in judicial custody.
Referring to Khan's arrest, Masood said, "This was bound to happen, but only with us. In Fatehpur, rioters were vandalising the mosque, breaking through barricades and entering, while the police watched on. What action did the police administration take at that time? What action was taken in the violence that erupted on the streets of Muzaffarnagar three months ago? What action was taken in the police station where we were only reciting the scriptures?"
He accused the police of selectively targeting Muslims.
"They lathi-charge us, use batons and bullets on us, which clearly shows that there are two laws in this country. Every Muslim in the country should understand this," he said.
"I request the responsible Muslims and Ulemas of the country to come forward and take the initiative to ensure that mosques are for prayers. Mosques should not be used in such a way that people come to pray and then start protesting with posters in hand, and all the worshippers become part of that crowd, and then the police use lathis and batons. The BJP's agenda will continue to strengthen in this way," Masood added.
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