At least 1,324 Muslims have been booked in 21 cases across India after a controversy erupted about banners saying “I Love Muhammad” at Muslim religious processions, a civil rights collective said.

Thirty-eight Muslims have been arrested in these cases, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights said on Wednesday.

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

Kanpur Deputy Commissioner of Police Dinesh Tripathi was quoted as saying by India Today that government rules prohibit introducing new customs into religious processions. The police on September 9 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.

The Kanpur Police maintained that no case was filed for putting up the banner itself, India Today reported. The cases were filed for placing the banner at a new location and for allegedly tearing another group’s posters, the police said.

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.

The Association for Protection of Civil Rights said that Uttar Pradesh has seen most of the cases related to the protests, with 16 FIRs naming more than 1,000 people.

These include Unnao (eight cases, 85 persons accused, five arrested), Baghpat (150 persons accused, two arrested), Kaiserganj (355 accused), Shahjahanpur (200 accused) and Kaushambi (24 accused, three arrested).

One case was also filed in Uttarakhand’s Kashipur. In this case alone, the police named 401 accused persons, and arrested seven.

In Gujarat, were filed at Godhra (88 persons accused, 17 arrests) and Baroda (one person accused and arrested). In Mumbai’s Byculla area, one person was booked and arrested, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights said.

Nadeem Khan, the national secretary of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, said that targeting people for expressing their love and respect for the Prophet was a “gross violation of fundamental rights”, Maktoob Media reported. “Peaceful religious expression should never be criminalised,” Khan said.

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