Haridwar Hate Speech: Police Register Case Against Wasim Rizvi, Others

BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay.

(Photo: Screenshot of the video.)

Four days after a three-day-long hate speech conclave was organised in Haridwar, videos of which have gone viral on social media, the Uttarakhand police took cognisance of the event and registered a case against Wasim Rizvi alias Jitendra Narayan Tyagi and others under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.) in Haridwar police station.

The hate speech conclave was organised by the controversial Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand from 17 to 19 December in Uttarakhand's pilgrimage city of Haridwar, where multiple calls to kill minorities and attack their religious spaces were made.

A part of the event was also live-streamed on social media.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said that the FIR had been registered after a local resident submitted a written complaint. He added that the FIR named only one person as the person who filed the complaint had been able to name only Rizvi.

The police will be adding more names to the FIR once the investigation begins, he added.

"Action will be taken as per the law against those responsible. What happened is wrong and fully illegal,” Kumar said.

After the FIR was registered, Uttarakhand government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said that whatever happened at the conclave was wrong.

"Police will take required action against those involved and responsible," he added, according to The Indian Express.

What Happened at the Conclave?

The gathering had speakers like BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, Annapurna Maa, Dharamdas Maharaj from Bihar, Anand Swaroop Maharaj, Sagar Sindhuraj Maharaj, and Swami Premanand Maharaj.

Upadhyay presented India's Constitution, in saffron colour, to his "Gurudev" Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati. Upadhyay is the one who was earlier involved in organising a rally in Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where anti-Muslim slogans were raised.

Most speeches made genocidal calls as they asked Hindus to pick up arms against Muslims.

"Economic boycott won't work. Hindu groups need to update themselves. Swords look good on stage only. This battle will be won by those with better weapons."

Yati Narsinghanand

Meanwhile, Swami Prabodhanand Giri, president of the Hindu Raksha Sena, said:

“There’s not a lot of time left. Either be ready to die or be ready to kill, there’s no other option. Like Myanmar, police, politiciamns, Hindus, should pick up weapons and carry on the ‘safai abhiyaan’.”

Swami Prabodhanand Giri

Two days later, another hate spewing event took place, this time in the national capital. A video of the event showed Hindu Yuva Vahini, and Sudarshan News Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke, take an oath to "fight, die and if required, kill" in order to turn India into a Hindu rashtra (nation).