The far-right Dasna temple head Yati Narsinghanand yet again made a hate speech at the World’s Religion Parliament in Haridwar on Friday, December 20, repeating his pattern of inflammatory rhetoric against the Muslim community of India.
In a video that has surfaced on social media the saffron-clad Narsinghanand is seen addressing an audience accompanied by some right-wing members on stage.
During the event, he delivered a threatening statement suggesting violence, stating “If the police move away for 15 minutes, this person asking and lecturing for time will not survive,” cryptically referring to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s controversial speech.
It is pertinent to mention here that Owaisi delivered the speech in 2012 while addressing a rally in Telangana’s Adilabad district where he allegedly made an open challenge stating “If the police were to be removed for 15 minutes the Muslim community could show its strength”.
Amid applause and sloganeering of “Har Har Mahadev from the audience, Narsinghanand is further heard declaring his willingness to sacrifice his entire family for the “Sanatan Dharma” cause.
The 58-year-old priest has a history of hate speech and communally charged statements, particularly targeting the Muslim community and famous Muslim personalities like former president APJ Abdul Kalam.
Earlier in October, he made derogatory remarks against the Prophet of Islam stating that, “If you have to burn effigies on every Dussehra, then burn the effigies of Muhammad.”
Last year, he said “Akhand Hindu Rashtra was the dream of Veer Savarkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This dream should not be limited to Afghanistan; we should strive until Hindutva reaches Makkah and Kaaba.” He further claimed that a Shiv temple lies beneath the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.
Following unrest in Israel in 2023, the priest declared that he, along with 1,000 supporters, wishes to settle in Israel and contribute to the war effort free of charge.
Due to his repeated hate speech, he has been booked across multiple states, with FIRs filed in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana. However, despite facing numerous legal challenges, he continues to make provocative statements without facing any legal repercussions.
The Uttar Pradesh police have often been accused of allowing Narsinghanand to be scot-free despite being a history-sheeter. Critics have pointed out the apparent double standards in handling such cases stating marginalized groups and independent journalists who report these hate crimes are stamped down immediately, and those spewing hate speech remain outside the law.
On Thursday, December 19, the Supreme Court refused to hear a complaint alleging that the Uttar Pradesh administration and police failed to take action against far-right Dasna temple head priest Yati Narsinghanand’s Dharam Sansad which is being organised between December 17 and December 21.
However, the Supreme Court directed the UP administration to follow the guidelines on hate speech.
“Please keep track of what is happening, recordings of the event be there, the mere fact that we are not entertaining doesn’t mean there should be violations,” the CJI told additional solicitor general KM Nataraj representing the state.
A team of former civil servants and activists, including retired IAS and IFS officers Aruna Roy, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Deb Mukarji and Navrekha Sharma as well as former member planning commission and NCW chief Syeda Hameed and social researcher and policy analyst Vijayan MJ, filed a contempt petition stating such events which include hate speeches could lead to communal disharmony in the region. They pointed at the Dharam Sansad advertisements which explicitly mention anti-Muslim speeches.
