Haridwar Dharm Sansad: The event was organised by Yati Narasimhanand Giri of the Juna Akhada at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar. For the unversed, Giri is already under the police scanner for making hate speeches and inciting violence.
New Delhi: After massive outrage on social media, an FIR has been filed in connection with the hate speeches at the controversial Dharm Sansad (religious conclave) in Haridwar. Videos from the event (held from December 17 to 20) that have been doing rounds on social media showed participating seers making multiple provocative speeches against a community. The event was organised by Yati Narasimhanand Giri of the Juna Akhada at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar. For the unversed, Giri is already under the police scanner for making hate speeches and inciting violence.
Uttarakhand Police Swings Into Action
The FIR was filed against Jitender Narayan Tyagi alias Waseem Rizvi on the basis of a complaint by Trinamool Congress leader and RTI activist Saket Gokhale. The FIR claimed that the former chairman of the Shia Waqf Board and others have given “derogatory and inflammatory statements against Islam” at the event.
Taking cognizance of the video that is going viral on social media for spreading hatred by giving provocative speeches against a particular religion, a case has been registered against Wasim Rizvi alias Jitendra Narayan Tyagi and others under Section 153A IPC in Kotwali Haridwar and legal proceedings are in progress,” the Uttarakhand police tweeted.
Opposition Leaders Condemn ‘Hate Speech Conclave’
Several Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress and the TMC, condemned what they said was a “hate speech conclave” held in Haridwar recently and called for strict action against those involved.
Reacting to the remarks at the Haridwar meet, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “This is bloodcurdling stuff. Is it too much to expect. @CMuttarakhand to take action under the existing hate-speech laws?” Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said on Twitter, “Narsinghanand Organises 3-Day Hate Speech Conclave in Haridwar… are the Faux Hindutva Nazis planning a holocaust? Will the Union of India & its institutions be a blind/mute spectator?”
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed said Munawar Faruqui has been relentlessly punished for alleged jokes which he didn’t even crack, but there is no action against the ‘Dharm Sansad’ members who openly called for “genocide against Muslims in Haridwar!”. “Is India still a democracy!” she said. Kishenganj MP of the Congress Mohammad Jawaid tweeted, “Appalled by the nature of the assembly and hate speech propagated openly in Haridwar. Such events are destroying the secular ethos of India.”
He urged Home Minister Amit Shah to take serious and urgent action against the people who were involved in the “implied calls for genocide of Muslims”. Chhattisgarh minister and senior party leader T S Singhdeo said India’s traditional value is — ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbhkam – World is a Family’.
“Our Constitutional value is Secularism – Respect for all religions. Our primary Fundamental Right is Right to equality. Such bigoted thoughts & assemblies are against the foundation of India. This is criminal!” he said reacting to the remarks made at the meet. Gaurav Pandhi, a Congress functionary, said that in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “‘New India’, sponsored by Ambani & Adani, Comedians are prevented from making people laugh but Hindutwavadis are allowed to give hate speeches, calling for genocide and armed revolt against the nation”.
