Mohammed Zubair files FIR against police in Allahabad HC over his ‘X’ post on alleged speech by Yati Narsinghanand

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair moved Allahabad High Court challenging the FIR filed Ghaziabad Police last month accusing him of inciting hatred between religious groups, among other charges, following a complaint by an associate of controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand.

Complaint filed Udita Tyagigeneral secretary Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Trustclaims that Zubair published a video clip of the old program Narsinghanandon October 3 with the intention of inciting violence against him by Muslims.

The complaint also states that Zubair posted edited clips of the priest on X (formerly Twitter) containing Narsinghanandalleged inflammatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad to incite radical sentiment against the controversial cleric. In his X Post, he called Narsinghan’s alleged speech “humiliating”.

Zubai received a warning under sections 196 (inciting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), 228 (fabrication of false evidence), 299 (willful and malicious acts intended to offend religious sentiments), 356(3) (defamation) and 351(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Zubair appealed to the High Court to quash the plea and protect it from coercive measures. In his plea, he stated that his post X did not call for violence against Yati. He only informed the police about Narsinghanand’s actions and sought action in accordance with the law, and it could not amount to promoting disharmony or discord between the two classes of people.

He also challenged the applicability of the defamation provision under the BNS on the grounds that it requires actions against Narsinghanand sharing his own videos that are already in the public domain cannot be considered defamation,

The statement also stated that during the derogatory remarks against the Prophet, Narsinghanand was out on bail in another feud case, where a condition of his release was that he not make any statements that promote society.

It is likely that the case will be brought to a hearing before the court Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Prashant Kumar.

It may be noted that PIL (Public Interest Litigation) is in anticipation before the Allahabad High Court to restrain Yati Narsinghananda from raising issues against Prophet Muhammad and the holy book of the Quran.