Himachal Pradesh: Yati Narsinghanand Delivers Another Hate Speech in Una

Yati Narsinghanand

(Photo: Twitter)

Controversial Hindutva leader and priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati has delivered yet another hate speech at a religious conclave in Una, Himachal Pradesh, which violates his bail conditions.

Speakers at the meet appealed to Hindus to take up arms and called for the targeted killings of Muslims.

This comes two weeks after he and the chief editor of Sudarshan News Suresh Chavhanke were named in a First Information Report (FIR) by the Delhi Police for allegedly delivering hate speeches at a 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' held in Burari on Sunday, 3 April.

In two separate incidents, journalists were assaulted by right-wing mobs at the Hindu Mahapanchayat event. The Quint's principal correspondent Meghnad Bose was also manhandled.

On 17 February, Narsinghanand, who was arrested in January, had walked out of Haridwar jail after being granted bail in two cases – one pertaining derogatory comments against women and the other for organising a 'dharam sansad' where genocidal calls against Muslims were made.

What Did Narsinghanand Say in Una?

While addressing the conclave in Una, Narsinghanand said that the Hindu society was moving towards a decline, according to multiple reports.

Earlier, only Amarnath Yatra and Vaishno Devi Yatra used to be stone-pelted. Now Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, and any Hindu festival are stone-pelted. What could be worse for Hindus than this, he asked.

He further said that the country's political system was inclined towards Muslims, and that was why Hindus were being treated badly. He further said that Hindus should produce more children and make them strong so that they could protect their families.

Meanwhile, one of the organisers of the conclave, Satyadeva Saraswati, told NDTV that there was no need to "get permission from the administration" in Una since it was a private programme.

"We don't believe in the law...we are not afraid of anyone...here, we are telling the truth, not giving any hate speech," he added.

'Sadhvi Annapurna', who was named in an FIR filed regarding the case in Haridwar, also gave a hate speech at the event.

Background

An Uttarakhand court on 15 February had granted bail to the religious leader in the case related to his alleged offensive comments against women.

Narsinghanand, who had organised the Haridwar 'dharam sansad' in December 2021 where genocidal calls targeting the Muslim community were made, was also granted bail by a local court on 7 February in relation to the hate speech case.

The 'dharam sansad' had been organised from 17 to 19 December in the pilgrimage city of Haridwar, where multiple calls to kill minorities and attack their religious spaces were made by a number of Hindutva leaders.

Narsinghanand, a priest of the Dasna Temple in Ghaziabad, is among the 10 who have been named in the FIRs lodged against the Haridwar conclave.

Three FIRs had also been filed against Narsinghanand last year for his remarks against women.

(With inputs from NDTV.)