Image Courtesy:jantakareporter.com
After his anti-minority diatribe on the Kashi-Mathura debate that he recently held on a primetime show, multiple FIRs have been filed against TV news anchor Amish Devgan for hurting religious sentiments.
In his show which aired on June 15, 2020 titled, ““Barson baad Ayodhya ki aas hui poori, sant kahein Kashi-Mathura kyun rahe adhuri (Only years later the desire for the Ayodhya temple was fulfilled, why should the Kashi-Mathura temples be left behind, ask saints)?” Devgan not only insulted panelists belonging to the minority community but also uttered derogatory remarks against Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti by referring to him as ‘lootere’ (looter/robber) and ‘aakrantak’ (attacker) Chishti.
Sabrang India had done an analysis of this show only to find out that at such a time when there are more important topics like the failing economy and a looming healthcare crisis to discuss about, a sensationalized debate on this topic was just an act of inciting communal hatred and keep the anti-minority sentiment raging.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, commonly known as Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz was a Persian Muslim preacher and religious scholar. The famous Ajmer Sharif Dargah houses Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine and is visited by people of all faiths from all over the world.
In light of these disparaging remarks, several police complaints and FIRs were filed against him all over the country. FIRs were filed in Mumbai, Aurangabad, Rajasthan, Nanded, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh among other places. Organizations like the Raza Academy, Darul Uloom Chishtiya, Samvidhaan Bachao Manch, members of the Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party and Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa among many others filed FIRs against the news anchor.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah Thana Police Station – First Information Report – FIR registered against Negative Nationalist Tv Anchor @AMISHDEVGAN #AntiNational #AmishDevgan#ArrestAmishDewgan #ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/Q5QueBJkMt
— Haji Syed Salman Chishty-Gaddi Nashin-AjmerSharif (@sufimusafir) June 17, 2020
गिरफ्तारी करके सख्त कार्रवाई की मांग۔
तमाम मुसलमानों की आवाज़ |❤#ख़ानक़ाहे_समदिया_फंफूद_शरीफ❤#Arrest_Amish_devgan pic.twitter.com/Je5moGMr51
— Danish khan (@Danishk79908611) June 18, 2020
Met the Commisioner of @MumbaiPolice – Param Bir Singh ji @CPMumbaiPolice
Requested him to take immediate action against Amish Devgan & arrest him for making derogatory remarks against world renowned saint Hazrat Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz,this won’t be tolerated!#ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/SzvtnqercX— Zeeshan Siddique (@zeeshan_iyc) June 17, 2020
#ArrestAmishDevgan
We demand the Government of India to arrest Amish Devgan and put him in jail pic.twitter.com/OimMdGNxkF— Sadique Alam Razvi (@sadique_razvi) June 17, 2020
Now Nanded Police of Maharashtra has registered an FIR against Amish Devgan for offence-punishable u/s 295-A of IPC . #ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/dYDdqSepa8
— Khizer Patel (@khizer_patel) June 16, 2020
Fire from bhilwara Rajasthan #ArrestAmishDevgan more fir should lodged against Amish Devgan pic.twitter.com/tMf6slnqjd
— Ahtesham Aatif (@AatifAhtesham) June 16, 2020
Raza Academy Demand To File FIR Against News 18 Anchor Ameesh Devgan For His Blasphemous Remarks Against World Renowned Saint Hazrat Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz #ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/qG0OURwjTv
— Raza Academy (@razaacademyho) June 16, 2020
पॉपुलर फ्रंट ऑफ इंडिया अंता इकाई की और से आज 18-6-2020 को अमिष देवगन के आपत्तिजनक ख़्वाजा गरीब नवेज़ के लिए कहे जाने पर अंता SDM को ज्ञापन देकर जल्द से गिरफ्तार करने की मांग की।@AMISHDEVGAN #ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/gTQKMH6LHj
— mohammad javed (@mohamma84798032) June 18, 2020
“दारुल उलूम देवबंद” ने बहुत ही सख्त अल्फ़ाज़ में न्यूज़ 18 पर #अमीश_देवगन के ‘हिन्दलवली ख्वाजा अजमेरी’ की शान में गुस्ताखी की मज़म्मत की है !
साथ ही हुकूमते हिन्द से चैनल और एंकर के खिलाफ सख्त कार्यवाही की मांग की है !!@PMOIndia#darululoomdeoband #News18 #ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/hVaXGIJO1G— Samajwadi ManzarYar (@SamajwadiManzar) June 17, 2020
After the show aired, #ArrestAmishDevgan (348.4K tweets) started trending on Twitter. It was said that a protest against Devgan was also held outside the main gate of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
People protest against Amish Devgan at Ajmer Shareef Outside Main gate of Dargah#ArrestAmishDevgan#BoycotNews18india pic.twitter.com/pQSmBswUri
— ??Faiz Ahmad (@faizahmad_1) June 18, 2020
The chief of the Raza Academy, Muhammad Saeed Noori also met TV 18 officials, demanding them to terminate Devgan with immediate effect. They submitted a memorandum to TV 18 stating that Devgan had misused his position to create unrest between different communities in the country and that his slanderous remarks reached a new low with the insult to Khwaja Gareeb Nawaaz.
Raza Academy Chief Muhammad Saeed Noori Meets TV18 officials, demands to terminate Ameesh Devgan’s Job with immediate effect.#ArrestAmishDevgan pic.twitter.com/VXzIDLfOi4
— Raza Academy (@razaacademyho) June 17, 2020
Soon after he faced unprecedented flak, Devgan took to Twitter to clarify his stance, not apologise, saying that he misspoke and inadvertently referred to ‘Khilji’ as ‘Chishti’.
In 1 of my debates,I inadvertently referred to ‘Khilji’ as Chishti. I sincerely apologise for this grave error and the anguish it may hv caused to followers of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, whom I revere. I have in the past sought blessings at his dargah.I regret this error
— Amish Devgan (@AMISHDEVGAN) June 16, 2020
हज़रत ख़्वाजा मोइनुद्दीन चिश्ती में मेरी पूरी आस्था है: अमिश देवगन@AMISHDEVGAN pic.twitter.com/v2Z4Utif1u
— News18 India (@News18India) June 17, 2020
However, one look at the show will reveal that there was no mention of Khilji in the debate at all. His remark against Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti were made in response to Maulana Ali Qadri’s clarification that not all Muslims had converted forcefully; they had converted out of choice seeing Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz’s teachings and his life. However, the part of Devgan’s speech where he insults Moinuddin Chishti seems to have been deleted from the video of the show put up on the YouTube channel of News 18 India. It can still however be viewed on the YouTube channel of CNBC Awaaz between 37.15 – 37.25 minutes.
The complaints against Devgan have been filed under Section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) among other sections of the IPC.
Amish Devgan is a repeat offender. Earlier last month, a police complaint was filed against him for spreading fake news of Muslims offering namaaz at the Kurla Masjid in Mumbai amid the lockdown. After the news was proven to be false, he issued a 30-second apology to his viewers for the incident.
Amish had earlier also said that the Delhi violence that took place in February, were “religiously motivated” while insinuating that the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protestors had a part to play in the matter.
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News 18’s Amish Devgan rakes up Kashi-Mathura debate, incites anti-minority hate