At Delhi ‘mahapanchayat’, Yati Narsinghanand exhorts Hindus to pick up arms to fight for their existence

The head priest of Dasna Devi temple claimed "50 per cent of Hindus will convert" in 20 years if a Muslim became the prime minister of India.

Yati Narsinghanand, the controversial head priest of the Dasna Devi temple, sparked yet another row on Sunday with his comment that "50 per cent of Hindus will convert" in 20 years if a Muslim became the prime minister of India, exhorting Hindus to take up arms to fight for their existence.

Yati Narsinghanand, controversial head priest of the Dasna Devi temple, sparks another row on Sunday. (File)

Addressing a 'Hindu Mahapanchayat', organised by Preet Singh, founder of the Save India Foundation, at New Delhi's Burari ground, Narsinghanand, “Only in 2029 or in 2034 or in 2039, a Muslim will become the prime minister. Once a Muslim will become the PM, 50 per cent Hindus will convert, 40 per cent will be killed and the remaining 10 per cent will either live in refugee camps or in other countries in the next 20 years."

"This will be the future of the Hindus. If you want to avoid this future, then become a man and take up arms,” Narsinghanand is seen saying in a video of the Mahapanchayat which is being circulated on social media.

HT, however, could not independently check the authenticity of the video.

According to reports, around 200 people, including several other Hindu supremacist leaders, had gathered to participate in the Mahapanchayat on Sunday.

Narsinghanand is currently on bail in connection with the Haridwar hate speech case.

The Dasna temple priest was granted bail in the hate speech case on February 7, but 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.

Narasinghanand had participated in a three-day religious conclave in Haridwar namely ‘Dharma Sansad’ in December last year wherein he could be heard calling for genocide and usage of arms against Muslims. A video of the event, which was shared widely on social media, triggered a massive outrage.

In an interview in January, 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”. After this, Mumbai-based social activist Shachi Nelli wrote to the attorney general of India KK Venugopal to initiate a contempt proceeding against Narasinghanand. Later, the AG responded to Nelli's letter and cleared contempt action against the priest.

Journalists 'manhandled'

A few Delhi-based journalists, who had gone to cover the event, were allegedly manhandled there. Police, however, denied the claim that they were detained.

Sharing a tweet by one of the journalists who alleged that two young Muslim men from the media were assaulted by a Hindu mob at the Mahapanchayat and were also taken into custody, deputy Commissioner of police (Northwest) Usha Rangnani said nobody was detained.

"Some of the reporters, willingly, on their own free will, to evade the crowd which was getting agitated by their presence, sat in PCR Van stationed at the venue and opted to proceed to Police Stn for security reasons. No one was detained. Due police protection was provided," she stated in the tweet.

"For spreading misinformation, due necessary action shall be initiated against such persons," she tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)