Alt News’ Zubair shares Narsinghanand’s videos, booked for endangering India’s sovereignty

Zubair had posted a thread of videos on October 3. The first tweet had a video showing Yati Narsinghanand, the priest of Dasna Devi Temple, making inflammatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, has been booked under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalizes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. This information was relayed to the Allahabad High Court on November 27. The FIR, initially filed on October 8 by the Ghaziabad police, is based on a complaint by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Trust.

Zubair had posted a thread of videos on October 3. The first tweet contained a video showing Yati Narsinghanand, the priest of Dasna Devi Temple, making inflammatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad at an event in Ghaziabad on September 29. The priest, known for making hate speeches, urged people to burn effigies of the Prophet, sparking protests from Muslim communities across Uttar Pradesh, who demanded strict action.

In his second tweet in the thread, Zubair wrote, “For people supporting Yati Narsinghanand. Here is a video of Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Maharaj’s vile comments about women in politics, especially BJP women leaders in politics (2021).” Along with this tweet, Zubair posted a video of Yati making derogatory comments about women politicians.

The thread also included one more video from 2022, where Yati Narsinghanand made demeaning remarks about Prithviraj Chavan.

Though Zubair was highlighting previous controversial speeches by Yati Narsinghanand, Udita Tyagi alleged that the old video clips were shared with the intent of inciting violence by Muslims. The complaint blamed Zubair, along with Arshad Madani and Asaduddin Owaisi, for the violent protests at Dasna Devi Mandi.

The initial FIR against Zubair, based on Udita’s complaint, charged him under several sections of the BNS, including Section 196 (promoting enmity between groups on religious grounds), Section 228 (fabricating false evidence), Section 299 (outraging religious feelings), Section 356(3) (defamation), and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation). Zubair subsequently filed a writ petition before the High Court, challenging the FIR and seeking protection from arrest.

On November 25, the High Court directed the investigating officer to file an affidavit clearly specifying the sections under which Zubair had been charged. During the proceedings on November 27, the investigating officer submitted the affidavit, indicating that Section 66 of the Information Technology Act and Section 152 of the BNS had been added to the case.

Zubair’s plea asserts that his social media post simply aimed to inform authorities about Narsinghanand’s statements and advocate for legal action. He maintains that this cannot be interpreted as promoting disharmony or violence.

Zubair also contested the defamation charges, arguing that sharing publicly accessible videos of Narsinghanand’s comments does not constitute defamation. He highlighted that Narsinghanand was already on bail for a separate hate speech case, with conditions barring him from making statements that could incite communal disharmony. Zubair further claimed that the FIR was a malicious attempt to silence him for exposing Yati Narsinghanand’s alleged criminal activities, citing the complainant’s own admission on X that the FIR was a “publicity stunt.” He even noted that the complainant thanked a follower for praising this tactic.

The High Court has permitted amendments to the FIR, and the matter is scheduled for its next hearing on December 3.

Alt News issued a statement condemning the new charges added. In the statement, the news portal said, “Critics have long warned that this provision could be weaponized to stifle dissent and target voices critical of those in power, just as sedition laws were misused in the past. Zubair’s case is a stark example of how these fears are becoming a reality. This affidavit is yet another example of how state machinery is being used to intimidate individuals and organizations committed to exposing hate and misinformation.”

It added that they will support Zubair against “relentless legal intimidation” and urged “supporters of free speech, independent journalism, and fact-checking” to also support them.

Courtesy: The News Minute

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