Yati Narsinghanand, the head priest of the Dasna Devi temple is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. On September 18, while addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of an event organized by the Hindu Mahasabha in Aligarh, Narsinghanand allegedly suggested that madrasas and the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) should be blown up.
A video of the speech went viral and in it, Narsinghanand can be seen and heard saying, “Madrassas should not exist in the first place.” He goes on to say, “They should be blown to bits with gunpowder or we should practice the policy of China and send the residents of the madrassas to detention camps.” Narsinghanand appears to be referring to the infamous camps where Uyghur Muslims are “re-educated”. According to media reports, he also said that Aligarh was the place where the seeds were sown for India’s partition. Narsinghanand also called Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra a joke.
The timing of the comment is significant given how a survey of madrasas is on in Uttar Pradesh at present to determine their sources of funding and course curriculum. Also, in Assam at least four madrasas have been demolished due to their alleged connections to terrorist organisations, though in at least one case the official reason given was that the structure was unsound and therefore dangerous.
A case has now been registered against him at the Gandhi Park police station, reports India Today. Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh Gunawat told Scroll that the controversial spiritual leader has now been booked under IPC sections Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words to hurt religious feelings), 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
This is not the first time Narsinghanand has made controversial statements. In March 2021, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had moved the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy) and the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MMA) against the godman for his offensive and discriminatory speech made online, in which he had selectively targeting the Muslim community. He had dubbed the community as “jihadi” and urged Hindus to protect their Dharam (religion), daughters and women from them.
Then in August 2021, CJP had approached the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) to take cognisance of the Islamophobic statements made by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, and his endeavour to provoke young Hindu men to act against Muslims. He had said that all workers like plumbers, electricians, delivery boys, vegetable vendors are Muslims who enter Hindu homes, befriend Hindu women who then fall prey to the ‘Jihadis’.
Related:
CJP approaches MEITy and Minority Affairs Ministry against Yati Narsinghanand
CJP approaches NCM against Yati Narsinghanand’s hate speech
Cooperate fully with madrasa survey authorities: Maulana Arshad Madani to UP madrasas
Discrepancy in reason for Madrasa demolished in Kabaitary: AAMSU