UP Police arrests Bihar cleric over objectionable remarks against CM Adityanath's mother

Bahraich: A cleric accused of making objectionable remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's mother has been arrested from Bihar and sent to jail by a court here, police said on Tuesday.

Maulana Abdullah Salim Qasmi alias Chaturvedi was apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) from Purnea on Monday evening and brought to Bahraich late at night.

Circle Officer (City) Narayan Dutt Mishra told PTI that a controversial speech of the cleric, said to be of a May 2024 event, in which he allegedly used objectionable language against the chief minister's mother had surfaced on social media earlier this month, sparking protests.

The police said that an FIR was lodged against him under BNS sections 196 (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief).

The FIR was registered on March 8 at Kotwali Nagar police station in Bahraich on a complaint by Vishva Hindu Parishad's legal cell district convenor and advocate Ajit Pratap Singh over the video, he said.

After being brought to Bahraich, the accused was questioned by police and produced before a court on Tuesday, which remanded him to judicial custody, Mishra said.

He said that before being sent to jail, the accused "admitted to his offence during questioning at the police station and sought forgiveness".

Meanwhile, a purported video of the cleric shows him acknowledging his remarks and apologising.

In the video, he says that during a speech delivered on May 5, 2024, at an educational awareness conference in Bhagalpur, Bihar, he made inappropriate comments which "should not have been said".

"I fold my hands and sincerely apologise for my mistake. Such an error will not be repeated in the future," he is heard saying in the clip, also seeking forgiveness from the chief minister.

The police confirmed that the viral video features the same accused.

After the purported video of the cleric's 2024 remarks resurfaced on social media, protests by right-wing groups were held in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, including the state capital Lucknow, earlier this month.

FIRs were also registered in Balrampur district, while complaints were submitted to the police in Lucknow and other places.

Several BJP leaders, including Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan, had termed the cleric's remarks "condemnable and unacceptable".