Tension gripped Ahilyanagar district after a controversy over a rangoli design with the message “I Love Mohammad” escalated into highway blockades, stone-pelting, and multiple FIRs on September 28–29.
According to police, the incident began in the Milliwada area, where the rangoli was drawn on the route designated for a “Durga Daud” organized by Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan. The following morning, members of the Muslim community gathered in front of the Kotwali police station, demanding action. An FIR was registered, and one person was arrested in connection with the incident involving the rangoli.
Escalation and violence
Despite the early arrest, protests intensified on September 29. Demonstrators blocked the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Ahilyanagar highway and adjoining arterial roads, halting vehicular traffic.
According to officials, police repeatedly urged protesters to maintain calm, but stone-pelting soon broke out. Several police personnel and civilians sustained injuries, and multiple vehicles were damaged.
To disperse the crowd, authorities resorted to a lathi-charge. Approximately 27–30 people, including some minors, were detained. Additional forces were deployed, and flag marches were carried out in sensitive areas of the city.
Meat thrown on Hindu procession
Amid the unrest, local leaders said that meat was thrown on the Durga run route on September 29. Police confirmed that a separate FIR had been registered in this matter.
This was not the first such incident in the area. On September 16, a similar incident of cow meat being dumped on a road had led to protests and subsequent arrests in Ahilyanagar.
Police cases and arrests
Police have filed multiple FIRs relating to the September 28–29 violence:
- Against individuals accused of creating the rangoli message.
- For the assault on a youth during the clashes.
- Over claims of meat being thrown on the Durga Daud route.
- For unauthorized road blockades and obstruction of the highway.
So far, more than 34 arrests have been made.
Wider pattern across states
The Ahilyanagar episode is part of a larger wave of unrest linked to the “I Love Mohammad” campaign across India in September 2025.
- Kanpur (Sept 4): Banners displayed during Barawafat sparked protests.
- Bareilly (Sept 19–26): The most violent clashes of the month, leaving multiple police injured.
- Barabanki, Mau, Unnao, Kannauj: Unauthorized processions after Friday prayers led to confrontations.
- Kashipur (Uttarakhand, Sept 19): Clashes during an illegal procession; police vehicles damaged.
- Godhra and Gandhinagar (Gujarat): Violence following poster disputes.
- Maharashtra (Beed, Thane, Mumbra, Nagpur, Mumbai): Protests and FIRs on similar issues.
- Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and several Bihar districts: Demonstrations and sporadic clashes reported.
Across these states, the pattern remained consistent: slogan or display → objections → protests after prayers → stone-pelting and clashes with police → FIRs and arrests.
Official response
The Maharashtra government said the situation in Ahilyanagar is now under control. Citizens were urged not to spread or believe rumors, while officials confirmed that all aspects of the case are under investigation.
Authorities are also examining whether the violence in Ahilyanagar and elsewhere is the result of isolated provocations or part of a coordinated attempt to disrupt communal harmony during the festive season.
