E-Paper
Hindu leaders Narasimhanand, Sagar Sindhuraj named in Haridwar Dharma Sansad FIR
Police said the names have been added based on viral video clips of the Dharma Sansad.
The Haridwar Police in its FIR against Haridwar Dharma Sandad have now added the names of Hindu leaders Yeti Narasimhanand and Sagar Sindhuraj in connection with the case of alleged hate speech based on viral video clips, reports said. "On the basis of the viral video clip, two more names, Sagar Sindhu Maharaj & Yati Narsinghanand Giri, have been added to the FIR in the Dharma Sansad hate speech case, upon further investigation. Section 295A has been included in the FIR," said Ashok Kumar, Director-General of Police, Uttarakhand.
Earlier, the FIR mentioned the names of Dharm Das, Annapurna, Wasim Rizvi aka Jitendra Tyagi, and some others associated with the Dharma Sansad which was held from December 17 to 18.
After the videos from the religious congregation openly calling for genocide went viral, the Uttarakhand Police registered an FIR against Rizvi, who was the former chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Central Shia Waqf Board, under Section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) related to the statements made at the event. Rizvi converted to Hinduism last month.
The actions stemmed from the widespread outrage against the open hate speeches against which five former chiefs of staff of the armed forces and more than 100 other prominent citizens, on December 31, wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, condemning the speeches made at the meet.
Before that, a group of lawyers wrote to Chief Justice of India NV Ramana urging him to take suo motu cognisance against such dharma sansads held in Haridwar and New Delhi. The letter written by 76 lawyers highlighted the two separate events organised in Delhi by the Hindu Yuva Vahini and in Haridwar by Yati Narsinghanand on December 17 and 19, 2021. It said that the events and speeches delivered during the same "were not mere hate speeches but amount to an open call for the murder of an entire community".
(With agency inputs)
