A 45-year-old man in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad was arrested after posters saying “I Love Muhammad” were found pasted outside his home, The Indian Express reported on Monday.

The police action in the Kidwai Nagar area followed a protest by Bajrang Dal workers, who objected to the posters and demanded immediate action.

According to Modinagar Assistant Commissioner of Police Amit Saxena, the man, identified as Sherdil, was taken into custody under Section 151 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita which allows preventive detention to maintain peace and order, The Indian Express reported.

Sharma added that the man was placed under judicial custody and would be presented before a court on Monday.

Bajrang Dal district president Madhur Nehra had led protests and warned authorities that the group would remove the posters themselves if the police failed to act.

“We submitted a complaint to the police,” the newspaper quoted Nehra as saying. “We have been informed that an appropriate action has been taken in this regard.”

The police have since removed the posters and a banner from the area but deny any connection to the protest registered by the Hindutva group.

“The posters have not been removed due to a complaint from Bajrang Dal,” Saxena told The Siasat Daily. “The action was taken as a precautionary measure, keeping in mind the unrest in Bareilly.”

Violence broke out in Bareilly on Friday when a crowd carrying “I love Muhammad” posters clashed with police outside a mosque. The police on Saturday arrested eight persons, including local Muslim cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan, in connection with the clashes.

Tensions surrounding the banners first erupted on September 4, when a group of Muslims held an “I love Muhammad” banner during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Hindu groups objected to the banner, claiming that a “new tradition” was being introduced at the procession.

The police claimed that government rules prohibit introducing new customs into religious processions. On September 9, the police went on to file cases against 24 persons, of whom 15 were unidentified, for allegedly introducing a new custom during the procession and disturbing communal harmony.

However, the police action sparked protests and processions with “I love Muhammad” banners in other districts of Uttar Pradesh and other states. Some of the protests led to clashes with the police, leading to cases being filed.

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