Two persons were taken into custody on Saturday after a video of an inflammatory and provoking speech delivered by the Islamic preacher Salman Azhari went viral on social media.
The Cause of instigation
The speech was delivered at an event held at Narayan Vidya Mandir, in Junagadh, Gujarat on an open ground near the ‘B’ division police station. Subsequent to the video’s widespread circulation, a first information report along with suo moto FIR was registered against Azhari and local organizers Mohammad Yousuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara under section 153B of the Indian Penal Code. (This Section punishes those who make or publish statements that promote disharmony or hatred between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups.)
The Gujarat Police after probing into the details of the case, termed it as a hate speech. After a joint conversation with Mumbai cops, Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) detained Mufti Salman Azhari in Mumbai. They also obtained a two-day transit remand of Islamic Preacher Mufti Salman Azhari from a Mumbai court.
A transit remand is a judicial magistrate’s order that remands (to send the accused back into the custody) an arrested person to police custody for their transit (transportation of people) to another state.
Modes Of Resistance
Following this incident, Azhari’s supporters and some politicians gathered around the Ghatkopar police station in protest against his detention. The police made announcements and forced the mob to evict the area yet the crowd defied all police instructions. Instead, late at night, they blockaded the road, voiced slogans, hampering and affecting the traffic and kept demanding the preacher’s release. So much so that at around 10:45pm, the crowd became extremely aggressive and stopped a bus.
Almost 200 personnel from the State Reserve Police Force were deployed to control the agitated throng. Five people were put under arrest on charges of obstructing public servants. The Police further registered a case against 16 individuals and a number of others on violations under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code such as assault, rioting and causing hurt.
Azhari’s Comment on the Case
In retaliation to this the police resorted to lathi charge. Unable to seize the frightful horde Azhari was asked to request the crowd to calm down. It is after this that Salman Azhari addressing the mass to adjure commented “Neither am I a criminal, nor have I been brought here for committing a crime. They are doing the required investigation and I am also cooperating with them. I am ready to be arrested if it is my destiny,”.
Supporters’ Statements
Mohammad Talha, one of the protesters who is a businessman of mobile accessories said, “We have faith in Mufti who works for Allah. He is our ideal. We want the police to release him.”
After Azhari’s arrest, former MLA Waris Pathan, the National spokesperson of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, claimed that the preacher mentioned about Israel-Palestine dispute but did not deliver any controversial statement and that he should be treated property.
Mufti’s lawyer stated that approximately 35 to 40 police officers from Gujarat ATS, Mumbai Ats as well as Chirag Nagar Police Station suddenly showed up at his residence without prior notice and arrested him. They even refused to inform their purpose for the visit.
Know More About Salman Azhari
Hailing From Mumbai, Maulana Azhari, is a Sunni research scholar and Motivational speaker. He is the founder of Jamia Riyazul Jannah, Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust, and Darul Amaan, according to his X (formerly Twitter) bio. His alma mater is from Al-Azhar university in Egypt renowned as one of Egypt’s oldest an prestigious institution. His influential and compelling oration has earned him a name of a significant personality among the Muslims of the world. He actively engages in diverse discussions in multiple topics related to socio-religious activities.
