Don’t protest against Yati, we’ll file FIRs say Muslim scholars

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: Islamic scholars (ulema) in Bengaluru have called upon Muslim youth to not stage protests against recent comments by controversial right wing preacher Yati Narasinghanand which were insulting to the prophet of Islam. They offered to file First Information Reports (FIRs) against Narasinghanand in every district in the country as an alternative. The scholars reasoned that staging demonstrations might lead to passions getting the better of the youth resulting in stray acts of violence, which will invite a crackdown by cops. They said that such incidents had happened before, which led to deliverers of hate speech against Muslims getting bail eventually while protesters from the community languished in jail.

The call was given in a press conference in Bengaluru by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Karnataka (JUH-K) president Iftekhar Ahmed Qasmi, Jamia Masjid Chief Imam Maqsood Imran Rashadi, Ejaz Ahmed Nadvi from the Majid-e-Ehle Hadees Char Minar, Moulana Khalid Beg Nadvi, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Karnataka (JIH-K) state president Dr Mohammad Saad Belgami and Karnataka Hajj Committee member Zainul Abidin Rashadi. “This time, after Yati’s derogatory remarks, we responsible individuals will break this pattern. Now, God willing, we will not rest until people like this are jailed. Sentiments of Muslims aside, legal experts and others will ensure that such people don’t repeat the same deeds.

As Moulana Maqsood Imran said three decisions have been taken. First, we will file FIRs in every district. In Ghaziabad, an FIR was filed under 302 (BNS), which is a bailable case punishable with either a year’s imprisonment or a fine. This can no longer continue,” Moulana Khalid Beg Nadvi said. He also pointed out that even the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud had directed police to file a suo moto case against perpetrators of hate speech, adding that failure to do so constituted contempt of the Supreme Court (SC).

Habitual offender in limelight again: Yati, who was born Deepak Tyagi, has a long history of delivering hate speeches against Muslims. Last week, he delivered a speech at Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad, calling on his followers to burn effigies of the prophet of Islam instead of Ravan. The speech also included inflammatory claims and insults. It was followed by protests by Muslims and cases against Yati under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), 302 (intentionally wounding religious sentiments), 197 (actions that harm national integration) and others. Cops have claimed that since then Narasinghanand has gone missing.