In the wake of ‘I Love Muhammad’ protests across the country, the Gujarat police arrested 17 persons and registered cases against more than 80 others for allegedly vandalising a police station in Godhra. The detained men, tied with ropes and visibly injured, were publicly shamed, struggling to walk.

On Saturday, September 20, his supporters staged a protest after Jhabha alleged that he was assaulted while in custody.

The incident followed tensions in the town after local social media influencer Zakir Jhabha was summoned by the police for posting Facebook post holding an ‘I Love Muhammad’ signboard.

While Godhra police were unavailable for comment, local media reported that Jhabha was called in only to prevent communal unrest over his post.

Online discourse, however, has largely focused on the treatment of those arrested and the public nature of their humiliation. While the group of demonstrators is reported to have allegedly vandalised the police station and set official documents on fire, the manner in which they were paraded during their arrest has drawn criticism and is being viewed as a form of public shaming.

This move comes amid the trending movement online after several youths were arrested in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for holding up ‘I Love Muhammad’ signboards during Milad-un-Nabi processions. Many have argued that the police taking down the signboard in the name of communal unrest is a sign of suppressing religious freedom of expression.

Previously in Mumbai, police took down the sign reading ‘I Love Muhammad,’ stating that it would raise tensions in the region. 

Multiple cases have surfaced all over the country, with the Muslim community and Indian citizens taking to the streets protesting for the release of those arrested while holding up the signboard.

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