Omar Rashid 
New Delhi: In the wake of protests against extremist Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand’s provocative remarks against Islamic prophet Muhammad, at least two Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs have tried to add fuel to the fire through their warnings to the Muslim protestors.
One of them, Nand Kishor Gurjar, even advocated that the Muslim protestors who allegedly marched towards Narsinghanand’s temple in Dasna, Ghaziabad on Friday, October 4, and “attacked” it, be shot dead in an “encounter.” The Uttar Pradesh police have dismissed reports of any such attack on the temple and threatened action against rumour mongering.
The other BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi threatened protestors that they would get a “taste of Israel” if they tried raising frenzied slogans in UP. “Here, treatment will be given through the constitution of Babasaheb and not the Sharia, and that too a proper one… don’t cry then,”said Tripathi on October 6 in a post on X.
The latest controversy regarding Narsinghanand, who runs a temple in Ghaziabad, was triggered after clips of his derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad were widely shared on social media. Narsinghanand made the comments inciting people to burn the Prophet’s effigies at an event in Ghaziabad on September 29.
FIRs
Multiple police complaints have been lodged against Narsinghanand in several states, including UP, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Telangana. In Hyderabad, where an FIR was lodged against Narsinghanand on the complaint of the AIMIM, the party’s president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he had even requested the Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad to issue a notice to social media platforms to remove the “hate speech.”
Also read: Yati Narsinghanand Booked for Saying ‘Madrassas, AMU Should Be Blown Up’
Multiple Muslim organisations, outraged by Narsinghanand’s insults, have demanded action against him and approached police in their respective states with applications. While there are widespread demands to arrest Narsinghanand, who is known for his rabble-rousing politics, police are yet to confirm if he was actually detained or arrested, although several news portals and newspaper reports, including one by The Indian Express, said, quoting police sources, that he had been detained.
Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, described Narsinghanand’s words as “blasphemous” and said they were “absolutely intolerable.” “It is tantamount to crossing the red line,” said Rahmani, demanding that Narsinghanand be sent to jail.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani wrote to home minister Amit Shah condemning Narsinghanand’s “offensive comments”. “This hate speech threatens communal harmony and must be addressed,” said Madani, adding that immediate legal action and removal of the video were essential to uphold peace and respect for all religions. Bijnor Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Aazad demanded that the stringent National Security Act be slapped against Narsinghanand.
‘Complete peace outside temple’
At several places in UP, Muslims have taken to the streets in protest and demanded action against Narsinghananand. In Ghaziabad, on the night of October 4, a large group of Muslims gathered on the road outside the temple run by him in Dasna, shouting slogans and demanding action. Soon after, social media was rife with rumours that the mob had attacked the temple. However, a senior police officer, briefing the media about the incident, did not mention any attack. “Some youths were creating a ruckus on the road outside the Dasna mandir. They were immediately chased away by the police. There is complete peace around the temple premises,” said Surendra Nath Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (Ghaziabad Rural) at 2.17 am on October 5. Security at the temple had been beefed up, added Tiwari.
The officer also warned that action would be taken against those who spread rumours about the incident. “Some people are spreading rumours in this regard. Please do not spread any false rumours. If false rumours are spread, strict action will be taken against the concerned person, said Tiwari.
The following day, however, BJP MLA from Loni in Ghaziabad Nand Kishor Gurjar went on camera alleging that Narsinghanand’s temple had been attacked and that those responsible for it be shot dead by police. “The police carried out the drama of a lathi-charge at night but they should have shot 10-20 persons in an ‘encounter’. This was an attack on entire Hindutva. Had 10 to 20 persons been killed, then there would not be anyone creating this kind of ruckus,” Gurjar told reporters.
Also read: With Call for Violence Against Muslims at Burari, Yati Narsinghanand Violates Bail Conditions
The MLA also tried to justify Narsinghanand’s controversial remarks, saying it was “natural” that he uttered such words in a sense of “agitation” over the attacks on “Sanatan Dharma,” the killings of “daughters” and the situation in Bangladesh. Despite clarifications by the police, on October 6, Gurjar issued a tweet in which he repeated his allegations that there had been an “attack” on the Dasna temple.
““The attack on the Dasna temple is an attack on the faith and belief of Hindus which will not be tolerated at any cost. This is an attack on the faith of the entire Sanatan Dharma, to which the administration should respond by identifying all the culprits and taking action against them under the NSA. The lovers of Sanatan Dharma should rise above caste, political ideology and differences and unite and oppose this attack in one voice,” said Gurjar on X.
‘UP model’
ACP Wave City Ghaziabad, Lipi Nagayach said six persons were arrested for raising slogans and obstructing official work outside the Dasna temple on October 4. The arrested persons were identified as Samir, Sajid, Aamir, Shoeb, Farman and Sehzad Saiyad.
Similar protests were reported in Bulandshahr district, where police arrested eight Muslims for allegedly hurling stones at police while protesting against the detention of some people who had come out to protest against Narsinghanand. In Saharanpur too, an FIR was lodged against 20 Muslims and 50-60 unidentified others over allegations of stone-pelting during a protest.
BJP MLA from Deoria Shalabh Mani Tripathi in a series of posts on X issued warnings to protestors that action would be taken against them under the “UP model” if they tried to get “Sharia justice by forming mobs.” “You may disagree with the words of Yati Narasinghanand ji, but do not forget that this is India, not Syria. Here Babasaheb Ambedkar ji’s constitution is supreme. If you try to get Sharia justice in an ignorant way by forming a mob against the spirit of Babasaheb, then you will suffer the consequences of the UP model. Don’t cry then,” said Tripathi on October 5.
On October 7, chief minister Adityanath, in a review meeting of law and order in the state in view of the upcoming festivals, said that, “Derogatory comments against deities, gods and goddesses, great men and saints belonging to any caste, religion or sect are unacceptable, but anarchy in the name of protest will also not be tolerated.”
Adityanath directed the state police and senior officials that if any person made derogatory comments against revered persons, gods, goddesses or a community, then they would be severely punished. Anarchy, vandalism or arson in the name of protest will not be accepted at all, said Adityanath. “If any person dares to do so, he will have to pay the price for it,” said the UP CM.