On 6th February, it came to light that a second FIR had been registered against Maulana Mufti Salman Azhari in Kutch, Gujarat. Salman Azhari is already facing an FIR in Junagarh, Gujarat after a complaint was filed against him for giving a provocative speech on 31st January. Gujarat ATS picked him from Maharashtra. Reports suggest that he gave a similar speech in Kutch before he went to Junagarh.
મુફતી સલમાન અઝહરી સામે વધુ એક પોલીસ ફરિયાદ; કચ્છના સામખીયાળીમાં પણ આપ્યું હતું ભડકાઉ ભાષણ#Gujarat #BreakingNews #Kutch pic.twitter.com/SOvnR7ytXI
— Zee 24 Kalak (@Zee24Kalak) February 6, 2024
Notably, the organiser, identified as Mamad Khan Mori in Samakhiyari, Kutch, who sought permission for the event named “Dharmik Takrir”, where Salman Azhari gave an inflammatory speech in Kutch, has also been booked in the matter. The police and ATS are investigating the matter jointly.
In the video from Kutch for which the second FIR has been filed, Salman Azhari was heard saying, “We believe that if they desecrate a mosque, a ‘Ghulam’ of Prophet Muhammed will come who will purify the mosque and Azaan will echo in the air. Today is the day of these dogs, tomorrow will be ours.” He then continued to praise the Muslim community of the country for becoming “aware” of the religion. Chants of “Nara-e-Takbir, Allah Hu Akbar” were also heard in the video.
Second FIR filed against Azhari for Kutch video from OpIndia Videos on Vimeo.
According to Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar of Kutch (East), both accused have been booked under Sections 153B and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He said, “We have registered an offence after the video of his hate speed went viral on social media. At present, the Mufti is in the custody of Junagadh Police. We will apply for a transfer warrant to bring him here.”
Local saints have expressed anger against the inflammatory speech given by Salman Azhari. Mohandas Maharaj, executive president of Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, opposed the incendiary speech by Salman Azhari in Junagarh. He said, “Action should be taken against such maulvis who disrupt peace in India. If Maulana Mufti Salman Azhari is not punished, someone else will also give inflammatory speeches elsewhere. The government and police should be thanked for arresting these maulvis. These maulvis should have control of their language.” He further stated that Salman Azhari should not get bail and deserves severe punishment.
Notably, Junagarh Police and Gujarat ATS are collecting information related to the accused, including his inflammatory speeches in Kutch from social media accounts. Three trusts linked to him, including Jamia Riyazul Jannah, Al Aman Education and Welfare Trust, and Darul Aman Trust, are under investigation. Moreover, it has been found that Salman Azhari has connections with some extremist organisations, which is also being investigated.
Derogatory speech and arrest of Salman Azhari
On 31st January, Mufti Salman Azhari made derogatory remarks against the Hindu community during his 56-minute-long speech in Junagadh city of Gujarat. In the contentious video that went viral on social media, the radical Islamic preacher was heard saying, “The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. The dogs are having their time today. Our time will come tomorrow.”
His provocative remarks against the Hindus were applauded by his supporters, who yelled ‘Labbek ya Rasulullah’ in unison. But this was not the only genocidal comment made by Salman Azhar on that day. Before his ‘dog reference’, Salman Azhari spoke in the context of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha at Ayodhya and the legal battle surrounding the disputed Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi.
“If you keep idols inside a mosque, then, it will not become an idol-worshipping place (referring to temples),” he had stated. Azhari defended the tendency of Islamic invaders to appropriate religious structures of non-Muslims and pagans.
“You have kept one idol ( at Ram Mandir) but there were 360 idols at Kaaba. Even then, the Kaaba belonged to the Muslims. This did not stop the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj,” he continued. “…Dear Muslims, the revolution will begin from your homes. They (Hindus) do not dare to convert your mosques to idol-worshipping places (referring to temples). You have yourself abandoned the mosques,” Azhari further added.
While referring to the Hindus as ‘dogs’, he emphasized, “We have a saying – When the ground is left open, dogs take over the place. But if you keep using the ground, then, they won’t become the shelter for dogs.”
Following his speech, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him. On 4th February, a team of Gujarat police reached Mumbai and arrested Salman Azhari in connection to his genocidal comments.
The cops also obtained a 2-day transit remand to take the Islamic hate preacher to Junagadh in Gujarat. As expected, Muslim ‘journalists’ came to defend Azhari on social media and seek his immediate release. Islamists also gathered outside the Ghatkopar police station and tried to intimidate the police into releasing the preacher.
