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Haridwar case: Police verifying videos and identifying seers

By, , Hindustan Times, Haridwar/dehradun
Dec 25, 2021 03:48 AM IST

A day after it registered a criminal case against several people, Uttarakhand Police on Friday said it is verifying videos of a controversial religious event, where speakers allegedly made hate speeches in Haridwar last week, “to gather evidence against the accused and add more names in the case”

A day after it registered a criminal case against several people, Uttarakhand Police on Friday said it is verifying videos of a controversial religious event, where speakers allegedly made hate speeches in Haridwar last week, “to gather evidence against the accused and add more names in the case”.

Lucknow, India - Jan. 19, 2018: Syed Waseem Rizvi, Chairman U.P. Shia Central Waqf Board in Lucknow, India, on Friday, January 19, 2015. (Photo by Subhankar Chakraborty/ Hindustan Times) (Subhankar Chakraborty/HT PHOTO)
Lucknow, India - Jan. 19, 2018: Syed Waseem Rizvi, Chairman U.P. Shia Central Waqf Board in Lucknow, India, on Friday, January 19, 2015. (Photo by Subhankar Chakraborty/ Hindustan Times) (Subhankar Chakraborty/HT PHOTO)

“As part of the probe, police are verifying the videos of the event to gather evidence against the accused and ascertain the identities of the unidentified accused in the case,” inspector Rakendra Kathait, station house officer of Kotwali police station, said.

On Thursday, Kotwali police registered a case under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) against Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, former chief of Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf board who was earlier known as Waseem Rizvi, and several unnamed people on the basis of several video clips of speeches at the Dharma Sansad event, held between December 17 and 19.

The videos, which went viral on social media, sparked widespread criticism. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of these clips.

The case is currently being probed by a sub-inspector rank police officer, who could not be contacted.

“Police have asked some people connected with the event to provide videos of the same. A probe is on with police looking into all aspects of the case,” Kathait said.

Another officer familiar with the developments of the case said the only name accused is yet to be questioned by police. “Tyagi, the only name accused in the case, is yet to be questioned by police,” the officer said, seeking anonymity.

“Police are yet to contact him. It will be done soon. The district senior superintendent of police, Yogendra Singh Rawat, today held a meeting of the district police officers in which he asked them to take strict action against those involved in any similar incidents in the future,” the officer added.

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad, the apex body of seers in India, condemned the alleged hate speeches made by the seers at the event.

“Sanatan Dharma always preaches brotherhood, harmony and respect for other religions and communities. It doesn’t preach hatred and if some seers at the said Dharma Sansad had voiced or targeted a certain community, then one should be careful about such acts,” the organisation’s president, Mahant Ravidnrapuri, said.

One of the factions of the parishad led by Juna Niranjani Akhada distanced itself from the controversy.

Akhada Parishad (Niranjani Akhada) general secretary Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj said: “There is no immediate threat to Sanatan Dharma and as the religious gathering was not called by Akhada Parishad, hence, they can’t be said to be the voice of Hindu saints and Akhada Parishad as a whole.”

The clips of the controversial event purportedly showed one of the speakers saying that he wished to become Nathuram Godse, who assassinated MK Gandhi, and shoot former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

In another clip, another participant could purportedly be heard warning the Haridwar administration that hotels and establishments holding Christmas celebrations will be vandalised.

A third clip purportedly showed the speaker issuing threats of violence against Muslims.

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