Hindu Mahapanchayat at Dasna temple on Oct 13, police say no permission

Narsinghanand is ”missing” since the night of October 4 after the protests outside the temple. His aides claim that he was taken away by police while the police deny that Narsinghanand is with them

Nearly a week after the Ghaziabad police booked Yati Narsinghanand, the head-priest of Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad, for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed, Narsinghanand’s aides have called for a mahapanchayat on October 13 at the temple, citing security concerns about the temple.

Ghaziabad police have fortified the Dasna Devi temple complex in the wake of the derogatory remarks made by the temple head priest Yati Narsinghanand. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The police filed an FIR against Narsinghanand on October 3 for his alleged derogatory remarks during an event held at Hindi Bhawan in Ghaziabad on September 29, senior officers said.

Alerts about the mahapanchayat were shared on social media on Wednesday and they said the meeting was intended to draw up a framework for the temple’s security.

Udita Tyagi, general secretary, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation, said the Dasna temple faces security concerns and threats.

Referring to a protest outside the temple on October 4, he said, “The temple has been facing security concerns for years altogether and this needs to be addressed in the mahapanchayat, Tyagi said.

Narsinghanand is ”missing” since the night of October 4 after the protests outside the temple. His aides claim that he was taken away by police while the police deny that Narsinghanand is with them.

“Although police deny it, we have accepted that Maharaj is with them in some safe house. So, we will not press our demand to know his whereabouts. We are now concerned about safety of the temple as it is a potential target of fundamentalists,” Tyagi said.

Police, however, said they have not given any permission for holding the mahapanchayat.

“The events that unfolded after the videos related to Narsinghanand are sensitive in nature and we cannot allow any mahapanchayat. Considering the situation, we will not allow permission for this and strict legal action will be taken. Section 163 (prohibitory orders) of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita is already in place in the district. In connection with October 4 incident, we have so far arrested about 15 persons,” said Surendra Nath Tewari, DCP (rural zone).