LUCKNOW: A day after the controversial remarks of priest Yati Narsinghanand against Prophet Mohammad, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that derogatory remarks against saints and priests of any religion or faith were unacceptable and people responsible for that would be dealt with an iron fist.
The UP CM was reviewing law and order situation, on Monday, with the state Chief Secretary, DGP, Additional Chief Secretary, home, and other officials ahead of the festival season. CM Yogi said derogatory remarks against deities, great men, or saints belonging to any caste, or faith were unacceptable.
He said any attempt to tamper with faith would be met with strict legal action and punishment. Yogi directed the officials to initiate action against those who make objectionable remarks against leaders, seers, and saints of any religion.
Stressing the fact that every faith and sect should be respected, CM Yogi said: "If any person tampers with faith, makes derogatory remarks against the faith of “great men”, deities, sect, etc, then he will be brought under the purview of law and punished rigorously. People of all sects, religions will have to respect each other."
“Every citizen should have a sense of gratitude towards great figures, but this cannot be compulsorily imposed on anyone,” he said.
At the same time the UP CM also reminded people of the state that "anarchy, vandalism or arson in the name of protest will not be tolerated" and whoever would dare to do that would have to pay the price for it".
Yati Narsinghanand, a Ghaziabad-based priest of Dasna temple known for his controversial remarks, recently sparked another massive row after he made some objectionable comments against Prophet Mohammad. An FIR was lodged against him for hate speech but the priest's close aides said he had been detained in Ghaziabad, a claim the UP police have yet to confirm.
Protests had erupted in western UP and Maharashtra over the remarks of Narsinghanand. Meanwhile, several Muslim organisations and political parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National Conference (NC), and the Samajwadi Party (SP) called for his immediate arrest over the remark.
According to the highly placed sources, the UP chief minister directed the police administration that every district and every police station must ensure that the upcoming festivals were celebrated with joy and strict action was taken against any anti-social element.
"Identify those who try to vitiate the atmosphere and take strict action against them. Deal strictly with those who work against the law," he said. The chief minister also instructed his officers to remain vigilant and ensure women's safety across the state. For that, he ordered frequent patrolling by officials and said police response vehicles (PRV) should be available in crowded areas round the clock.