Yati Narsinghanand, the head priest of the Dasna temple in Ghaziabad, was picked up on Saturday night from Sarvanand Ghat of the Ganga, where he was staging a 'satyagraha' against the arrest of another accused in the case Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, earlier known as Waseem Rizvi.
Fresh charges have been slapped on Yati Narsinghanand for abusing a journalist and photographer after being offended by a question they had asked during an interview.
Narsinghanand, notorious for making intemperate remarks against Muslims, stoked yet another controversy with his comment that "50 per cent of Hindus will convert" in 20 years if a Muslim becomes the prime minister of India.
As controversy raged over Yati Narsinghanand's objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad, his supporters on Sunday alleged that the Dasna temple head priest is being illegally kept in detention by police, which denied the claim.
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.
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the arrest of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in an FIR accusing him of promoting enmity among religious groups. The court also directed Zubair not to travel abroad. The FIR was lodged last month following a complaint by an associate of controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand. Zubair had moved the high court, requesting quashing the FIR and protection from coercive action. In his plea, he stated that his post did not call for violence against Narsinghanand.
A first information report (FIR) was filed in Ghaziabad on Monday against Alt-News co-founder Mohammad Zubair for allegedly promoting enmity among religious groups and other offences following a complaint by an aide of controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand, according to police.
The consent has been granted in response to a letter by an activist, Shachi Nelli, seeking to initiate contempt against Yati Narsinghanand for his statements in an interview that went viral on Twitter on the January 14.
The complainant also alleged that Narsinghanand used abusive language against the Ghaziabad police commissioner and the assistant police commissioner of Loni in a video.
The chief minister stressed that faith of every sect and religion should be respected.
Narsinghanand's release follows bail granted to him on Tuesday by a local court in a case slapped on him under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code for making objectionable remarks against women and abusing a journalist.
A case against 1,200 persons has been filed in this connection and the police have identified 26 of them, an official said.
A complaint was filed at a court in Muzaffarpur against suspended BJP spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal who were in news for their derogatory statements against Prophet Muhammad.
Two courts in Haridwar have rejected the bail pleas of Yati Narsinghanand and Jitendra Narayan Tyagi who have been arrested in connection with the controversial Dharma Sansad where alleged hate speeches against Muslims were delivered.
Controversial seer Yati Narsinghanand, an Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha functionary and her husband have been booked by the police for allegedly making inflammatory statements against a particular community, a police official said on Monday.
Narsinghanand was arrested in connection with the case on January 15, nearly a month after he organised a Dharma Sansad in Haridwar where alleged provocative speeches were delivered against Muslims.
The opposition Congress raised in the Rajya Sabha increased instances of hate speeches against minorities in the country, including controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand's call to Hindus to take up arms.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Ghaziabad's Loni seat Nand Kishore Gurjar has alleged that the crowd which had gathered on Friday night to protest against Yati Narsinghanand had pelted stones at the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad and police should have 'shot' the attackers.
The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. Its president Mahant Ravindra Puri said that Mulayam Singh Yadav had always been "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan".
The Delhi police on Wednesday registered an FIR against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi for allegedly making inflammatory remarks.
The Delhi Police registered a first information report against religious leader Narsinghanand on Saturday for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community on a complaint from Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan, officials said.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a petition seeking a direction to ensure investigation and action against those who allegedly made hate speeches during two events held recently in Haridwar and the national capital.
The Delhi police has registered an FIR against two Twitter handles of a journalist and a news portal for allegedly inciting hatred between communities after they claimed manhandling of scribes during the controversial 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' event, officials said.
The petition demanded stern legal action against those who allegedly threatened to massacre Muslims and said it was not just a matter of religion but of the Constitution, law, unity and integrity of the country.
Two Hindu organisations, Hindu Sena and Hindu Front for Justice, have moved the Supreme Court seeking to intervene as parties in a pending plea in which notices have been issued to the Centre and others on allegations of hate speeches made against the Muslim community at Haridwar and New Delhi.
In a video clip circulating on social media, temple priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati charged that the minor had been sent to snoop on him and in the boy's community, there are 'trained killers' of his age.
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A S Oka was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the petitioners, that a similar event is scheduled on April 17 in Himachal Pradesh.
In his letters sent to the DMs of Aligarh and Haridwar, Ali has said a public event styled as a 'Dharam Sansad' was held in Haridwar and Delhi from December 17-19 last year where such speeches were made.
After a protest erupted outside Jama Masjid after the Friday prayers against the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed, Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari distanced himself from the demonstration saying "nobody knows who the protesters are" and demanded action against them.
No specific words against any community were uttered during an event held in New Delhi in December last year, the Delhi police has told the Supreme Court which is hearing a plea seeking direction to ensure investigation and action against those who allegedly made hate speeches during two events held in Haridwar and Delhi.
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the holding of events like Dharam Sansad at various places, which allegedly is disturbing communal harmony.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition seeking a direction to ensure investigation and action against those who allegedly made hate speeches during two events held recently in Haridwar and the national capital.
Our demonisation and dehumanisation of minorities and especially Muslims is so complete that calls for the abduction of and sexual violence against Muslim girls are acceptable in our society today and can be made in public spaces. The damage we have done to India internally and externally will be lasting, warns Aakar Patel.
Held at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar from December 17-20, the Dharma Sansad was organised by Yati Narasimhanand Giri of the Juna Akhada, who is already under police scanner for making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims.
Protests broke out in some states on Friday, including Delhi's Jama Masjid and stone-petling at policemen in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj and Saharanpur, over the controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad by two now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries with demonstrators in Jharkhand injuring a few policemen while authorities in Jammu imposed a curfew in few areas and parts of Kashmir observed a shutdown.
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