The complainant also mentioned the names of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief Arshad Madani for their social media posts condemning the priest’s derogatory remarks
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Prominent fact-checker Mohammed Zubair was on Monday booked for posting a video of Hindutva proponent Yati Narsinghanand in which the head priest of Dasna Temple in Ghaziabad had made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The FIR was filed at the Kavi Nagar police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad on a complaint filed by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Udita Tiyagi. Zubair has been booked under Sections 196, 228, 299, 356(3), and 351(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The complainant also mentioned the names of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind chief Arshad Madani for their social media posts condemning Narsinghananad’s derogatory remarks. Across the country, multiple FIRs have been filed against the priest, who is infamous for making vitriolic speeches against Muslims, Islam and its religious figures and faith.
Massive outrage and protest erupted against Narsinghanand after his inflammatory remarks targeting the Prophet. In a speech late last month, the priest exhorted Hindus to burn the effigy of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) instead of Ravan on the occasion of Hindu festival of Dussehra. He was booked for making a hate speech after several Muslim leaders, activists and organisations demanded action against him for his rabid remarks.
The FIR against Zubair mentioned the nationwide protests claiming they were caused by the fact-checker’s social media post. It mentioned that he had also posted other videos of Narsinghanand wherein the priest had made inflammatory remarks.
A huge protest was also held in front of the Dasna Devi temple where Narsinghanand is a priest. The protestors were later dispersed by the police amid allegations that they had attacked the temple. However, the police rejected the charges calling them “misinformation”. After the protesters dispersed peacefully, Hindutva supporters started demanding police action against Zubair, often the target of the Hindutva bogey.
In his first response to the FIR against him, Zubair said: “As expected. FIR registered against me”.
He has been facing hate campaigns and obnoxious remarks made by Hindutva influencers for reporting hate speeches and countering misinformation and fake news.
Meanwhile, people on social media have expressed solidarity with Zubair and criticised the police action.
“We must condemn the relentless harassment and intimidation of Mohammad Zubair by the BJP and UP police for his work combating misinformation and hate speeches. This must stop now and the case against him must be withdrawn immediately,” said journalist Mohd Abuzar Chaudhry.