The “I love Muhammad” campaign that ha spread to several districts of Uttar Pradesh has unexpectedly handed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath a potent political weapon, leaving Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav largely silent and on the backfoot, even as some of his party's Muslim leaders and spokespersons have spoken out on the issue.

The row began in Kanpur in the first week of September when, during a Barawafat procession, a banner with the phrase “I Love Muhammad” was displayed along the route. Local Hindu groups objected to what they said was a “new tradition”. The dispute soon spread beyond Kanpur, sparking rallies in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Clashes were also reported in Bareilly and Nagpur.

What began as a local issue has since mo

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