Instead of arresting Yati Narsinghanand based on multiple FIRs for making incendiary remarks against Prophet Muhammad, the UP police seem to be booking and arresting those who protest against him, as reflected in the FIR against Alt-News co-founder Mohammad Zubair.
The FIR was registered on Monday, following a complaint from Udita Tyagi, General Secretary of the Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati Foundation and an associate of Narsinghanand, accusing Zubair of sharing an old video clip of the priest on October 3, alleging that it was intended to incite violence against Narsinghanand.
The police report filed against Zubair cites multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to promoting enmity between different religious groups, fabricating false evidence, defamation, and inciting religious hatred.
Narsinghanand has drawn considerable attention recently for his inflammatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. On September 29, during an event in Ghaziabad, he allegedly urged attendees to burn effigies of the Prophet, which led to widespread outrage. These comments, along with his controversial past, have triggered reactions across the country.
On Friday, October 4, a large crowd gathered outside the Dasna temple run by Narsinghanand, protesting his statements and demanding his arrest. The protest resulted in some violent incidents, including stone-pelting, for which at least ten individuals have been arrested. The FIR against Zubair also implicates prominent figures such as AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Muslim cleric Arshad Madni, accusing them of involvement in an orchestrated effort that led to the violence.
Meanwhile, several Muslim organisations have lodged police complaints against Narsinghanand across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Telangana, demanding action against him for his inflammatory speeches. In Hyderabad, AIMIM leader Owaisi called for social media platforms to remove Narsinghanand’s hate speech, following the lodging of an FIR against the priest.
Despite widespread demands for Narsinghanand’s arrest, the police have yet to confirm whether he has been detained. Various reports, including those from major news outlets, suggested that he had been taken into custody, but official confirmation is still pending.
This is not the first time Mohammad Zubair has faced legal action. In June 2022, he was arrested over a social media post made in 2018, which led to significant public outcry. Critics have often viewed such actions as attempts to stifle dissent and target fact-checkers, raising concerns about the suppression of free speech in India.