A ‘mahapanchayat’ organised by Hindu Sena and a few other fringe groups, at News Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday over the recent communal violence in Haryana’s Nuh was stopped by police midway after some speakers, including Yati Narsinghanand, allegedly delivered “inflammatory speeches”.
According to a police officer, the cops had asked organisers not to say anything about any particular religion, yet they made inflammatory speeches. After which, they were directed to stop the event, news agency PTI reported.
Yati Narsinghanand, the controversial head priest of Ghaziabad’s Dasna Devi temple, were among the speakers for which the police gave “verbal permission”, according to the organisers. The police, however, denied giving permission to hold the event.
Addressing the ‘mahapanchayat’, also organised by the All India Sanatan Foundation and other outfits, Yati Narsinghanand said, “If the population of Hindus decreases and that of Muslims grows like this, then the history of thousand years will repeat itself. Then what happened to Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh will be repeated here.”
While he was speaking, the police officer objected to his speech.
Then Vishnu Gupta of the Hindu Sena took the stage. He alleged that Nuh and Mewat have turned into “forts of jihadists and terrorists” and demanded that the Indian Army and CRPF camps be set up there.
“The country was divided in 1947 on the basis of religion. The partition will not be complete as long as a single Muslim is here,” Gupta said.
While he was speaking, the police officer intervened again and asked the participants to leave the site.
“You, the organisers, were asked not to say anything about any particular religion. Despite this you are not following it so this ‘mahapanchayat’ ends here,” the officer said.
The event came just nine days after the Supreme Court on August 11 said hate speeches against any religious community are unacceptable. “Some sensitisation has to be done among the police force. On that, we would like the assistance of Centre and states. There are problem areas. After all, it is in the interest of everybody to have peace,” the Supreme Court said in its observation over alleged hate speeches and Muslim boycott calls given in the wake of communal clashes in Nuh.
Who is Yati Narsinghanand?
Narsinghanand is, however, not new to such controversies. He has been booked in the past for making inflammatory remarks.
Narsinghanand is currently on bail in connection with the Haridwar hate speech case.
Earlier, the Dasna temple priest was granted bail in the hate speech case, but he remained behind bars for other cases slapped against him, including one under section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for making objectionable comments against women and abusing journalists.
In December 2021, Narasinghanand had participated in a three-day religious conclave in Haridwar namely ‘Dharma Sansad’ wherein he could be heard calling for genocide and usage of arms against Muslims.
Later in an interview last year, the Hindu priest had said that those who believe in the Constitution, the Supreme Court, the politicians, and the Army will “die a dog’s death”.
In July this year, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Narsinghanand on a contempt petition filed against him for his alleged derogatory remarks against the judiciary last year.
Last year, the Delhi Police registered a first information report (FIR) against the Dasna Devi temple head priest for allegedly making derogatory comments against Mahatma Gandhi, after a video of the controversial right-wing leader hurling abuses at the father of the nation went viral on social media.
Was hate speech delivered?
Asked if hate speech was delivered at the Delhi mahapanchayat on Sunday, a senior police officer said, “This matter is being examined. Action as per law will be taken.”
Gupta of the Hindu Sena denied any “inflammatory speech” being delivered at the meeting. “Hindus were killed in Nuh. We are the victims, can’t we protest against what happened to us in Nuh,” Gupta said.
Nuh violence
Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh in Haryana on July 31 when a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by mobs and later spread to Gurugram and other areas.
(With inputs from agencies)
