Hindu seer Narsinghanand detained after violent protests over remarks against Prophet

Controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand has been booked in another hate speech case after he allegedly made objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammed that sparked protests in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh and other states.

IMAGE: Controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand. Photograph: X

His aides claimed on Saturday that he had been detained in Ghaziabad but there was no official word on it. A large crowd had gathered outside the Dasna Devi temple, where he presides, protesting against him on Friday night after videos of his inflammatory remarks appeared online, following which security was stepped up around the premises.

Police complaints were filed in several states including in Telangana where AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday submitted a representation to Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand demanding that a criminal case be registered against Narsinghanand.

An FIR was registered against the priest in Maharashtra's Amravati city, which saw violent protests against his remarks outside the Nagpuri Gate police station in which 21 police personnel were injured and 10 police vans were damaged during stone pelting by a mob on Friday night, according to officials.

A case under BNS sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 302 (intentionally uttering words to deliberately wound the religious sentiments of another person), 197 (actions that harm national integration) and others was registered against Yati Narsinghanand at Nagpuri Gate police station over his alleged objectionable remarks, the police said.

Narsinghanand has several cases against him, including for allegedly making a hate speech at a conclave in Haridwar in December 2021, and was out on bail.

His close aide and general secretary of Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation Udita Tyagi claimed he has been detained over the allegations of making objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammed during a programme held at Hindi Bhavan of Ghaziabad on September 29 and his whereabouts are not known.

When asked about it, DCP (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari said, "We are looking for the security of the temple and we have no idea about his detention".

Heavy police deployment has been made outside the Dasna temple to avoid any untoward incident, the police said.

An FIR has been lodged against 150 people on the complaint of Dasna police outpost in-charge sub-inspector Bhanu at Wave City police station over the protest outside the temple.

The police have issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) barring the assembly of five or more people in the district.

DCP city zone Rajesh Kumar Singh told PTI that "ample police force and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel have been deployed in Kaila Bhatta" area, which has a considerable Muslim population.

In Hyderabad, Owaisi said that Narsinghanand's bail should be cancelled as he has violated the conditions set by the court by making another hate speech.

A case should be registered now against him for his remarks and he should be arrested, the AIMIM president told reporters.

Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind demanded the arrest of Narsinghanand and said that filing an FIR against him is “not enough”.

In a statement, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani alleged that Narsinghanand has made “intolerable blasphemous” remarks against the Prophet Muhammad.

“We demand the government to immediately arrest Narsinghanand who has committed blasphemy against the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to impose the strictest possible punishment according to the law so that no one dares to do this again in the future,“ Madani said.

Abdul Salam Johar, Convener of Muslim Progressive Federation, Rajasthan, said that three complaints have been lodged in separate police stations of Jaipur in the matter.

“The Prime Minister and Supreme Court should take cognisance of the matter. Strict action should be taken and he should be booked under UAPA. Every time during the elections, such objectionable comments are given,” Syed Sarwar Chishti, Secretary of Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the Khadims of the Ajmer Dargah, said.

Protest rallies were also organised by various Muslim organisations in Jammu and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Members of other communities joined the protest at Bhatindi and said the government must act against people like Narsinghanand to maintain peace and communal harmony in the country.

"We have joined this protest to convey our strong resentment against the blasphemous remarks that have the potential to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the country. The government must act against the culprit in accordance with the law of the land,” R K Kalsotra, President of the J-K unit of All India Confederation of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes, said.

In Amravati, police have issued a prohibitory order under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the Nagpuri Gate area and a case has been filed against 1200 people following Friday's violence.

Amravati Police Commissioner Navin Chandra Reddy told reporters that a large mob, including members of some organisations, came to the Nagpuri Gate police station around 8.15 pm to press for their demand of registration of a case against Narsinghanand.

The in-charge of that police station told the mob that one FIR had already been registered in this connection and an inquiry was on, following which the mob went back, he said.

"But as some people circulated the video of the Hindu seer's remarks, a large group of persons returned to the Nagpurigate police station. But when the police officers were trying to persuade the crowd, the mob suddenly started throwing stones at the police personnel," Reddy said.

Senior police officers handled the situation well and dispersed the crowd. Extra police force was sent to the spot, he said.

Another senior police official said that 21 cops were injured and 10 police vans were damaged in the stone-pelting incident.

"A case has been registered against 1,200 persons, of whom 26 have been identified so far. They have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are on the lookout for those who indulged in rioting," he said.