Controversial priest says ‘if a Muslim becomes PM 50% of Hindus will convert in 20 years’; The mob allegedly attacked around six journalists covering the event
Controversial priest says ‘if a Muslim becomes PM 50% of Hindus will convert in 20 years’; The mob allegedly attacked around six journalists covering the event
Vastu Pravayavati Narasimhanand was on Sunday booked along with other speakers at a “Hindu mahapanchayat” for allegedly making hate speeches that if a Muslim becomes the prime minister of the country then in 20 years “50 per cent Hindus will be converted”. .
Police said they had refused permission for the event, but the organizers still went ahead with the “mahapanchayat gathering” and around 700-800 people were present at the venue.
Three FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident, police said, adding that legal action is being taken against those spreading rumors and misinformation using various platforms including social media.
Police said that all the cases are being investigated and no arrest has been made so far. Delhi Police said in a statement that a request letter was received from Preet Singh, President, Save India Foundation, seeking permission to organize the event in the North-West district. Singh hails from Mangolpuri in outer Delhi.
“The request was denied on the ground that the organizer did not have any permission from the land-owning agency – Delhi Development Authority – to organize this gathering at Burari Maidan. Despite the Delhi Police’s refusal, organizer Preet Singh reached Burari Maidan with his supporters on Sunday morning and started organizing the Hindu Mahapanchayat Sabha. Around 700-800 people gathered at the venue and the organizer’s invitees started giving speeches from the stage.
Police team reached the venue. Some speakers, including the head priest of the Dasna Devi temple, Yeti Narasimhanand Saraswati, and Suresh Chauhan, chief editor of Sudarshan News, spoke words promoting feelings of enmity, enmity, hatred or animosity between the two communities.
Accordingly, the case under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste, place of birth, residence, language, etc. and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony) were recorded. A case of Indian Penal Code was registered at Mukherjee Nagar police station.
Police said that the second FIR has been registered on the complaint of two journalists of a news portal. “In his complaint, he alleged that around 1.30 pm, as he was running towards the exit, he was assaulted and thrashed by a group of people, who also snatched his mobile phone and I-card. Usha Rangnani, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest), said, adding that she refused to undergo a medical test.
Journalist’s complaint
The official said the third FIR was registered on another complaint received from an independent journalist, who alleged that around 1 pm, when he and two other journalists were interviewing a man, some people assaulted him, the officer said.
“Police intervened and ensured their safety. He was medically examined and a case has been registered under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code. Notorious for making derogatory remarks against Muslims, Narasimhananda courted another controversy with his remark that in 20 years “50 percent of Hindus will convert” if a Muslim becomes the Prime Minister of India.
Addressing the “Hindu Mahapanchayat”, for which the Delhi administration did not give permission, he also called upon the Hindus to take up arms to fight for their existence. Preet Singh of Save India Foundation organized the Mahapanchayat. It is the same group that had earlier organized a similar controversial event at Jantar Mantar in the national capital where anti-Muslim slogans were raised.
Singh was arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly speaking abusive language at the Jantar Mantar event. Several other Hindu supremacist leaders also attended Sunday’s event. Narasimhanand is currently out on bail in the Haridwar hate speech case.
“Only in 2029 or in 2034 or 2039, a Muslim will become the Prime Minister. Once a Muslim becomes prime minister, 50 percent of Hindus will convert, 40 percent will be killed and the remaining 10 percent will either live in refugee camps or live in other countries over the next 20 years. “This will be the future of Hindus. If you want to escape from this future, be a man and take up arms,” Narasimhanand is heard saying in a video clip of the mahapanchayat, which is being circulated on social media.
PTI could not independently verify the veracity of the video.
Narasimhananda has also been involved in hate speech cases in the past. An FIR was lodged against him in Haridwar for making highly provocative speeches against Muslims at the Parliament of Religions held in the holy city between December 17 and 19 last year. At Sunday’s mahapanchayat, Narasimhananda insisted that Hindus should stop “begging” for their rights.
“For a long time I have seen Hindus begging to fulfill their demands. But I have not seen a single demand of any Hindu being fulfilled. We got Ram Janmabhoomi not by begging but by court intervention, so stop being beggars,” he was heard saying in the video clip. Sharing a journalist’s tweet, alleging that two young Muslim men from the media were attacked by a Hindu mob at the mahapanchayat and were also detained, Rangnani said on Twitter that no one should be detained. not taken in.
“Some journalists voluntarily, voluntarily, to avoid the crowd, which was getting agitated by their presence, got into the PCR van deployed at the venue and opted to go to the police station due to security reasons. No one was taken into custody. Proper police protection was provided,” she said. “Necessary action will be initiated against such persons for spreading misinformation,” he said.