An FIR has been filed by the Ghaziabad Police in Uttar Pradesh against Mohammed Zubair, co-founder and editor of Alt News, following tweets he posted about far-right Hindu priest and hate offender Yati Narsinghanand. The complaint was lodged on October 7, 2024 by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dr. Udita Tyagi at Kavi Nagar police station. Tyagi, who is also the General Secretary of the Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati Foundation and an independent director at hydropower PSU SJVN, was part of a group of more than 100 people who protested outside the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner’s office to demand action against Zubair for his social media posts against Narsinghanand and sought clarification about the priest’s whereabouts.
Details about the FIR filed against Zubair
It is to be noted that the FIR was filed two days after protests against Narsinghanand for making anti-Islamic comments against Prophet Mohammad had taken place at the Dasna temple, where Narsinghanand serves as the head priest. Tyagi, in her complaint, had accused Zubair of sharing edited video clips of Narsinghanand’s speeches on social media, allegedly to provoke violence by Muslims against the priest. She claimed that Zubair posted a video from an old program of Narsinghanand on October 3, which, she said, was aimed at stirring unrest. According to Tyagi, Zubair’s posts on October 4 and 5 escalated tensions and nearly led to an attack on the Dasna temple. Tyagi also stated that she was present with Narsinghanand at the temple during the alleged attack and that they barely escaped due to police intervention. It is to be pointed that a total of ten people have been arrested by the police after the protest allegedly turned violent.
“He posted a series of videos on October 4 and 5, leading to an attempt to ‘attack’ the Dasna Devi temple. I was present with Yati at the temple and we barely escaped. Had the police not intervened, the situation would have gotten out of hand,” Tyagi alleged in her complaint, as per Times of India.
As per a report of Indian Express, Tyagi further alleged in her complaint that Zubair’s posts included derogatory references to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar, and herself. As a result, she claimed to have received death threats on social media. The FIR against Zubair has been filed under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including promoting enmity between religious groups, fabricating false evidence, criminal intimidation, and defamation. The Times of India report has stated that Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra confirmed that an investigation is underway and assured that action would be taken against those using social media to incite violence.
In response to the FIR, Zubair expressed disappointment and claimed that the Ghaziabad Police registered the complaint without proper verification. Speaking to The Indian Express, Zubair noted that other journalists had reported similar content, yet he was singled out, suggesting that the FIR against him was intentional. Notably, apart from Zubair, the FIR also names AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, as well as prominent Muslim cleric Arshad Madni.
“It is unfortunate,” said Zubair, while talking to The IE.
As expected. FIR registered against me. https://t.co/KeGQnI2G5y
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) October 7, 2024
On October 7, members of Hindu groups had also submitted a memorandum to the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner, demanding action against those they alleged had attacked the Dasna temple during the protest on October 6.
Brief about the Yati Narsinghanand controversy
Yati Narsinghanand, the head priest of the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad, has been at the centre of multiple controversies due to his inflammatory remarks, particularly against the Muslim community. He is known to be a habitual hate offender. The present issue erupted due to one of Narsinghanand’s speeches, which was delivered on September 19 at an event in Hindi Bhavan in Ghaziabad. As per reports, Narsinghanand made derogatory statements and blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad during his hate speech. In a provocative statement, he encouraged people to burn effigies of the Prophet instead of Ravana, a comment that led to widespread anger among the Muslim community.
Muslim organizations across the country have been calling for Narsinghanand’s arrest, citing his repeated hate speech and efforts to incite communal violence. Narsinghanand’s inflammatory remarks led to protests outside the Dasna temple on October 6, with a large crowd gathering to express their outrage. Following the protest, security around the temple was significantly increased. Multiple FIRs were filed against Narsinghanand, including in Ghaziabad, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and other states. Section 302 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with the offence of uttering words or making sounds to intentionally hurt someone’s religious feelings, has been invoked against Narsinghanand. Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and Section 197 (acts that harm national integration) have also been included in the FIR.
Hyderabad police lodged a complaint after AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi urged authorities to take action and demanded social media platforms remove the hate speech. Despite the growing number of complaints, police have not confirmed whether Narsinghanand has been detained, though several reports, including those The Indian Express, suggest he may have been taken into custody.
Several of Narsinghanand’s disciples, including Anil Yadav Chota Narsimhanand, Yati Ran Singhanand, Yati Ram Swaroopanand, and Yati Nirbhayanand of the Dasna temple, have also been implicated in making objectionable remarks. These comments were captured on video and circulated online, leading to an additional FIR being filed at the Wave City police station under Sections 302 (punishment for intentionally hurting someone’s religious feelings) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the BNS. While the outrage over Narsinghanand’s statements continues to spread, demands for his arrest remain unmet, despite mounting pressure from several state governments and religious organizations.
Related:
Yati Narsinghanand booked for comments on former president
Supreme Court issues notice in contempt charges against Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand
Yati Narsinghanand calls for unity of the world to destroy Islam