Zubair, who had been dismissed from his constabulary post in Unnao in 2021, had recently aligned himself with the Samajwadi Party. His appearance alongside Fazal Mehmood, the SP’s Kanpur district president, in viral photographs has fuelled political controversy around his alleged affiliations.
Police allege Zubair played the audio after Friday prayers to stir communal tension. Within moments, 20 to 25 people had gathered near Madar Hotel crossing, prompting rapid intervention by law enforcement. The crowd was dispersed without major incident, though tensions had the potential to escalate. The FIR filed at Railbazar police station holds Zubair and 25 unidentified persons responsible under sections relating to unlawful assembly and provocation.
Authorities maintain the audio was designed with malicious intent. Senior officers say the message was disseminated through mobile phones and broadcast among worshippers leaving mosques. Local intelligence teams are probing the origin and replication channels of the clip.
Zubair’s dismissal in 2021 followed unspecified disciplinary action. Court documents also reference that he had previously served under Unnao police before being relieved of duty. His sudden emergence in political circles, with images linking him to SP leadership, has come under strong scrutiny, with opposition parties accusing the party of tacit endorsement.
The SP has responded by asserting the case is being politicised. Party representatives have expressed concern over the conflation of individual acts with collective responsibility. They emphasise that membership in a party does not imply sanctioning all actions of associates. The BJP, meanwhile, has urged strict action, pressuring investigators to uncover wider networks behind the audio circulation.
Public discourse around the incident has intensified following protests and confrontations across Uttar Pradesh triggered by the display of “I Love Muhammad” banners during recent processions. Critics argue that the case exemplifies how religious sentiments can be manipulated for political ends, while human rights advocates caution against overreach in policing speech.
Digging deeper, experts point to a trend in which technology-aided message forwarding is reshaping how incitement is orchestrated. Audio and voice clips, harder to trace than text messages, are increasingly used to inflame passions. Legal analysts say existing laws on provocation and communal harmony may require reinterpretation to handle such diffuse forms of communication.