Ali Mohammad, who served the Brahmdev Maharaj temple as a caretaker for more than two decades, was charged with defiling a place of worship, sparking a debate on religious tolerance
NEW DELHI — A sexagenarian Muslim man, arrested last week (June 28) for offering namaz on a temple premises in the Uttar Pradesh district of Budaun, has an unexpected offer from the temple’s priest to arrange bail for him.
The temple’s head priest, Paramanand Das, defended the aged arrested man, Ali Mohammad, who had served at the Brahmdev Maharaj temple as a caretaker for more than two decades.
The priest’s gesture epitomises the notion that humanity transcends the boundaries of religion, nationality, and other worldly constructs. At its core, humanity is about compassion, empathy, and kindness towards all individuals, regardless of their background.
Ali was arrested after a video of him offering namaz under a tree inside the temple premises went viral on social media last week. He was charged under Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for “defiling a place of worship with intent to insult religion” and has been remanded to 14 days in police custody.
Das said Ali had been like family to the temple, serving it faithfully since 2002, when Das took over from his late mentor Radheshyam, The Times of India reported on Tuesday.
“If his family cannot arrange bail, I will do it myself”, the priest told the outlet, adding, “What happened to Ali Mohammad was wrong and unexpected.”
Ali, a resident of Daharpur Kala village, had been living at the temple alone after separating from his family. He was known to feed animals, clean the temple grounds, assist during aarti, and quietly pray. Das described Ali as a man who respected all religions and avoided conflict.
Head priest Paramanand Das also criticised the person who secretly filmed Ali praying and shared the video online. “The unidentified man who slyly shot and posted the video has committed a greater offence than Ali. If the police take our statement, we will support Ali. Humanity is above religion,” he said.
Das, however, acknowledged that offering namaz inside the temple was not appropriate. But, he added, “On Diwali, people of different religions come to offer prayers at the feet of Brahmdev Maharaj. Ali respected every religion, committed no crime, and never harboured any religious hatred. He worked with dignity and respect, maintaining the temple’s sanctity.”
