Indian priest booked for offensive remarks

ANKARA

Police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India have registered a case against a Hindu priest Yati Narsinghanand for his offensive remarks against the holy prophet of Islam.

“Taking cognizance of the viral video, a case has been promptly registered under relevant sections…and further legal action is being ensured,” a statement on X by Ghaziabad police said Friday.

A video has gone viral about Narsinghanand’s speech, which was described as “blasphemous” by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, India's largest socio-religious Muslim organization.

“Take action against Yati Narsinghanand’s blasphemous remarks,” Maulana Mahmood Madani, president of the Jamiat, wrote to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, condemning Narsinghanand's offensive comments against Prophet Muhammad.

“This hate speech threatens communal harmony and must be addressed. Immediate legal action and removal of the video are essential to uphold peace and respect for all religions,” he said in the letter.

This is not the first time a case has been registered against this priest.

He was booked by police earlier as well for his blasphemous remarks.

The latest hate speech case comes as the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its latest report that religious freedom in India continues to follow a "deteriorating and concerning trajectory."

The Indian government, however, rejected the report, saying: “It continues to misrepresent facts and peddles a motivated narrative about India.”