Journalist Huda Zariwala arrested over remarks on Saharanpur mosque demolition

Saharanpur: Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested journalist and social activist Huda Zariwala after she criticised the demolition of a mosque inside the Saharanpur collectorate and made remarks against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a move that has added to the controversy surrounding the razing of the 150-year-old structure.

Zariwala, 34, reached the Saharanpur Circuit House on Monday evening to protest the demolition but was stopped by police after a brief argument over entering the premises. A video of her statements subsequently surfaced on social media, in which she described the demolition as wrong and said the Muslim community would oppose it, while also targeting the chief minister and the district administration.

Following the video, advocate Dushyant Singh filed a complaint at Sadar Bazar Police Station on September 7, alleging that Zariwala made provocative and objectionable remarks against a person holding a constitutional position and that her comments could disturb communal harmony and public order. An FIR was registered against her under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

A police officer at Sadar Police Station confirmed that Zariwala had been arrested and sent to jail, saying she was giving an “inflammatory speech” and creating a ruckus. He added that a provision of the Information Technology Act had also been added to the FIR, though the digital copy of the complaint seen did not mention the specific IT section.

The arrest comes amid heightened tensions over the demolition of the mosque, which the administration declared an illegal structure. The mosque management committee had challenged the decision in court, but the district judge dismissed the appeal, paving the way for the demolition, which was carried out under heavy police deployment.

Zariwala, who describes herself in videos as a former BBC journalist, had recently drawn attention for questioning Delhi Police over the alleged assault on two Muslim women journalists at Saket police station. Her arrest in Saharanpur has further intensified debate over the space for criticism and dissent in the aftermath of the mosque demolition.