UP Police Deny Detaining Yati Narsinghanand Amid Suspense Over His Whereabouts, Protests Sparked By Remarks

Priest Yati Narsinghanand sparked controversy with inflammatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad. As his supporters allege his 'illegal detention', the police deny the same.

File Photo of Yati Narsinghanand

Source : PTI

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Yati Narsinghanand's inflammatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad, his supporters on Sunday claimed that the head priest of the Dasna Devi temple is being unlawfully detained by the police. However, the police have denied these allegations. Multiple FIRs have been lodged against Narsinghanand in various states, including Maharashtra’s Thane and Hyderabad in Telangana. In Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, a protest against his remarks escalated into violence, with stones being thrown at the Sheikhpura police post.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural), N K Tiwari, clarified that Narsinghanand has neither been arrested nor detained, adding that the matter is under investigation, and appropriate action will be taken as per legal provisions, news agency PTI reported.

Several Muslim organisations, along with political parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National Conference (NC), and Samajwadi Party (SP), have called for Narsinghanand's arrest.

At a meeting held at the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad, where Narsinghanand serves as the head priest, leaders of several Hindu outfits voiced concerns over his safety. Udita Tyagi, General Secretary of the Yati Narsimahanand Saraswati Foundation, claimed in a statement that Narsinghanand was being illegally detained. “The Hindu outfits and other social organisations expressed concern over the illegal detention of Maha Mandaleshwar Yeti Narsimahanand Giri,” she said, as quoted by PTI.

Farmer leader Sahdev Tyagi, who was present at the meeting, alleged that the police took Narsinghanand from the Dasna temple under pressure and detained him at his disciple’s house in Bamheta village. According to Tyagi, Narsinghanand was then taken to police lines and kept there for two days without being produced before a court. “If anything happens to him, the police will be held responsible,” Tyagi warned. Tyagi added that a memorandum addressing these concerns would be handed over to the police commissioner.

Contradicting these claims, DCP Tiwari said the police have no information about Narsinghanand's current whereabouts, according to PTI's report. On October 3, Sub-inspector Trivendra Singh filed an FIR against Narsinghanand, accusing him of making derogatory remarks against a community during an event on September 19, an offence under Section 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with uttering words or sounds intended to hurt religious sentiments.

In another FIR filed by Sub-inspector Bhanu Prakash Singh, disciples of the priest—Anil Yadav (also known as Chota Narsimahanand), Yati Ran Singhanand, Yati Ram Swaroopanand, and Yati Nirbhayanand—have been accused of making objectionable remarks. A video of the remarks surfaced on social media, leading to charges under Sections 302 and 351 of the BNS, which cover criminal intimidation.

In Thane, a case was registered against Narsinghanand on October 3 by the Mumbra police based on a complaint from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The complaint accuses Narsinghanand of promoting enmity and deliberately hurting religious sentiments, invoking various sections of the BNS, including Section 196.

Uttar Pradesh: Unrest After Narsinghanand's Remarks

Protests have also erupted at the Dasna temple, where Narsinghanand presides, leading to heightened security around the premises. Six people were arrested for pelting stones at the police during one such protest. Further unrest occurred in Saharanpur, where 21 named individuals and up to 50 others were booked for stone pelting during protests at the Sheikhpura police post.

According to PTI, Superintendent of Police (City), Abhimanyu Manglik, commented on the incident, saying, "The unrest started when members of the Muslim community gathered at Sheikhpura Qadeem police post to submit a memorandum. Some miscreants in the crowd began throwing stones, creating tension in the area." Manglik added that no injuries were reported, and the police are using video footage to identify the perpetrators, with a high alert issued across the district.

In Hyderabad, the Cyber Crime police station also registered an FIR against Narsinghanand following a complaint by the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). BSP chief Mayawati has called for strict action against Narsinghanand, urging the central and state governments to address the priest’s hate speech.

"Narsinghanand has again made hate speeches against Islam, leading to unrest in Ghaziabad and other parts of the country. While the police acted against protesters, the main culprits remain free," Mayawati posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Imran Nabi Dar, spokesperson for the NC, echoed these concerns, stating, "His remarks tarnish India's reputation for religious harmony and tolerance and risk inciting communal tensions."

However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar from Loni, Ghaziabad, has come out in support of Narsinghanand. In a video circulating on social media, Gurjar can be heard saying, “The crowd that gathered on Friday to protest against Narsinghanand attacked the Dasna Devi temple with stones. The police should have shot the attackers... if 10-20 people had been killed, the violence would have stopped.”

Narsinghanand is already facing multiple charges, including for his hate speech during a conclave in Haridwar in December 2021.