'Sar tan se juda' challenges India's sovereignty: HC rejects Taukir Raza's bail plea
The Allahabad High Court denied bail to Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan regarding his involvement in the 2025 Bareilly violence. The court ruled that the slogan 'sar tan se juda' constitutes a threat to India's sovereignty and rule of law, distinguishing it from protected religious expressions.
Why it matters
The ruling sets a legal precedent regarding the limits of free speech and religious expression in India when such speech is linked to public violence.
PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court has rejected the bail plea of Ittehad-e-Millat Council founder Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan in connection with the September 2025 Bareilly violence case.Justice Ashutosh Srivastava, in an order passed on Monday, said the slogan could not be equated with religious expressions such as “Nara-e-Takbir, Allahu Akbar”, “Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal”, “Jai Shri Ram” or “Har Har Mahadev”.The court noted that the latter slogans express reverence towards God or a Guru, while agreeing with the state's submission that the “sar tan se juda” slogan amounted to a challenge to the rule of law and India's sovereignty and integrity.Raza has been in jail since October 13, 2025, in connection with violence that erupted in Bareilly during a rally linked to the ‘I Love Mohammed’ campaign.According to the police complaint, Raza had called upon members of the Muslim community to gather at Islamia Inter College after…
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