Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar stated on Friday that such acts will not be permitted in the hill state, following an outcry over the three-day Dharma Sansad event in Haridwar, in which numerous speakers allegedly made incendiary statements against Muslims.
The First Information Report, which was issued in response to a complaint by Trinamool Congress lawmaker and RTI activist Saket Gokhale, names Jitender Narayan, alias Waseem Rizvi, who was previously the chairman of Uttar Pradesh’s Shia Waqf Board. According to the FIR, he and others made “derogatory and provocative statements against Islam” during the gathering.
“A case has been filed under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, the police chief added, “We will conduct an investigation in accordance with the law, and such acts will not be permitted.”
Videos circulated of the event, which took place from December 17 to 20, were widely disseminated on social media, drawing harsh criticism from former military officials, campaigners, and even Martina Navratilova, international tennis great.
The Uttarakhand police tweeted, “Taking cognizance of the video that is going viral on social media for spreading hatred by giving provocative speeches against a particular religion, a case has been registered against Wasim Rizvi alias Jitendra Narayan Tyagi and others under Section 153A IPC in Kotwali Haridwar, and legal proceedings are in progress.”
