Four Muslim Men Held in MP’s Balaghat Over Protests Against Narsinghanand

New Delhi, 12 Apr 2021 [Fik/News Sources]: The Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested four Muslims after they held protest against the blasphemous remarks of Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, a priest of a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Dasna.

They have been identified as Mateen Ajhari, Kasim Khan, Sohaib Khan and Raza Khan. They were detained and held in Kotwali Police station of Balaghat on Friday for putting up posters critical of Saraswati, protest against priest, who had made derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad (SAW) at the Press Club of India in New Delhi. They said the priest’s remarks hurt their religious sentiments.

Ironically, the police booked the four on the same charges which they were demanding for the priest – hurting religious sentiments and disturbing communal harmony, reported NewsClick, a Delhi based news outlet.

The arrests were made after members of the Hindu rigt-wing outfits Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal lodged police complaint under sections 153-A, 294-A and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The complainant said that they saw four men pasting posters of Saraswati along Jamia Masjid road and hitting them with shoes.

“Some anti-social elements had stuck our respected saint Yati Narsinhanand Saraswati’s posters on the road and everyone was walking on it, unspeakable words were written on it too. This is why we have gotten an FIR registered against these anti-social elements,” Durgesh Sharman, member of local unit of VHP said while speaking with media persons.
He said that the accused were trying to “disturb communal peace” of the district.
Saraswati, the priest who is known for his hate anti-Muslim, has angered the Muslim community by making a blasphemous speech against the Prophet.

In Balagat, a delegation of All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen met the Superintendent of Police demanding a case against the priest. The delegation also deplored the police case against four men. “People often burn effigies of politicians including the Prime Minister and hit their posters with shoes. But here the right to protest has been criminalised,” Nazim

Khan, the district head of AIMIM said while speaking with Clarion India. He added that they were denied permission by the police to hold a peaceful demonstration against Saraswati.