Lucknow, March 16 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday said two teams had been formed to track down the miscreants who pasted posters in a Bareilly village threatening Muslims to leave their homes.

A case has also been registered against unknown persons under Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.

Director General of Police Public Relations Officer Rahul Srivastava told IANS that prima facie, the move looks to be the handiwork of some mischievous elements in the village.

A villager of Jianagla, situated 70 km from Bareilly, lodged a police complaint on Wednesday that posters in Hindi were pasted on his house's doors and walls, asking the Muslim villagers to leave by the year-end since the Bharatiya Janata Party has come to power in Uttar Pradesh. 

The village with around 2,600 residents has around 250 Muslims. 

District officials told IANS that most posters were xeroxed copies and had since been removed, except for a few. Starting with 'Jai Sri Ram', the posters are signed 'Hindus of the village'. 

The Muslim residents have petitioned the police to ensure their safety and security.

"Intelligence units have stepped up vigil in and around the village. We are keeping a close watch on miscreants," a senior official told IANS.