A prominent social media activist named Nazia Elahi Khan, who regularly speaks against radical Islam and on the plight of Hindus in West Bengal, was arrested on Wednesday (10th September) on charges of ‘blasphemy’.
Nazia was produced before the Alipore District & Session Court, after which she was released on bail. In August this year, a case was filed against her for allegedly ‘insulting‘ Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim community.
The First Information Report (FIR) was based on the complaint of a lawyer named Noor Mahvish, who accused Nazia of allegedly ‘inciting’ communal violence and deepening religious tensions in India. She was booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 299, 353 and 362.
The controversy stemmed from a video interview of Nazia, which she gave to a YouTube channel named ‘News Gallery’ on 3rd August 2024.
We found the video on the social media activist’s X (formerly Twitter) timeline. Nazia was seen objecting to the use of ‘Hindu sounding names’ for shops and eateries run by Muslim business owners.
“Why is Salim, who thinks of Hindus as Kafir (a derogatory word for non-Muslims), running a dhaba in the named Mahadev (Lord Shiva),” she inquired.
हिजाब पहनने की जिद
— Nazia Elahi Khan (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NaziaElahiKhan1) August 3, 2024
मदरसा माई सिर्फ इस्लामिक शिक्षा लेनी की जिद
शरीयत कानून पर चलने की जिद
संविधान ना माने की जिद
सड़क पर नमाज पढ़ने की जिद
अब नाम छुपाने की जिद
वाह मुस्लिम पुरुषो वाह! @AIMPLB_Official pic.twitter.com/JUp19wml88
Nazia Elahi Khan did not insult Prophet Muhammad
On being told by the reporter that everyone is free to use names of their liking for their business, the social media activist responded, “If that’s the case, then, Hindus will also write ‘Muhammad Suar ki Dukaan (Shop of Muhammad pig)’, Ajmer liquor shops, Medina lingerie shop and Owaisi underwear ki dukaan (Owaisi underwear shop).”
“If Hindus keep such names, no one should have an objection. Thereafter, no one should create hullabaloo over it or give slogans such as ‘Gustaak-e-Rasool ki ek ji saza, sar tan se juda’ (The punishment for blasphemy is death’,” she pointed out.
As evident from the discussion, Nazia did not insult Prophet Muhammad but simply pointed out the hypocrisy of Muslims and their objection to Muslim-sounding names of shops.
However, lawyer Noor Mahvish in her police complaint claimed that the social media activist ‘incited’ communal tension by her remarks.
Nazia spoke about spit jihad, reluctance to show nameplates by Muslim vendors
Furthermore, she spoke on the dangerous trend of unsuspecting Muslim vendors spitting on food and being caught red-handed in their disturbing acts.
“This country has seen thook jihad (spit jihad) and the demand to hide names is being made to continue this thook jihad. Only thieves are afraid of hiding names. Now, Muslims are hesitant to put up their nameplates.”
She also spoke about the disturbing case from July this year wherein a Muslim man and his accomplices rammed his car into the Kanwar Yatra near the T-point intersection of the Delhi-Dehradun Highway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
Nazia was highlighting the growing menace of unhygienic eateries and deliberate adulteration of food by criminals, running their businesses in the name of Hindu Gods.
She supported the decision of the Yogi Adityanath-led-UP government to make vendors display their original names on restaurants and carts along the route of Kanwar Yatra. The directive was ultimately stayed by the Supreme Court of India.
Muslims abuse Nazia, issue death threats
Starting in August, radical Muslims across India began abusing her on social media and even issued threats of beheading and murder.
One of the prominent public personalities, who was involved in the dog whistling, happened to be Anjum Khan – the wife of cricketer Shivam Dube.
In her Instagram story, Anjum warned, “If you don’t get angry even if the Prophet is being insulted then your faith is dead. And, if your Imaan is not dead then write with me #arrestnaziaelahikhan”. It featured Nazia’s picture with a “boycott” sign and had additional text inciting violence against her.
“Friends, now is the time to take action against this Nazia Elahi Khan. After speaking against Musalmans, she is making disgusting comments against our prophet,” she further threatened.
The subsequent police case against her also encouraged radical Muslim groups. Nazia Elahi Khan also received threats from a Muslim YouTuber named Aijaz Aslam, who happened to be a fan of Maulana Mufti Nadeem.
The latter had threatened to chop hands and gouge eyes for ‘blasphemy’ while protesting against former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. He was subsequently arrested in July 2022.
क्या राहुल गांधी जी आपके दलाल ने आपका राज खोल दिया आपने जिस मौलाना और उसके चमचो को मेरे पीछे लगाया है ये मौलाना कुछ दिन पहले गिरफ्तार हुआ था वो हिंदुओं को कुत्ता बोला था अपना इस्लामिक भाशन माई
— Nazia Elahi Khan (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NaziaElahiKhan1) August 11, 2024
एस्को आपने काम दिया है मुझे गिरफ़्तारी करवाने के लिए सही है! @RahulGandhi @INCIndia… pic.twitter.com/iMd9G2UOYG
On 4th September, the social media activist informed, “The entire country including West Bengal are in protest for the justice of doctor daughter #RGKarProtest but the Muslim of West Bengal is planning for my ‘sar tan se Juda’. Firstly these muslims had tried hard to put me in jail and now they are ready for sar tan se juda.”
The entire country including West Bengal are in protest for the justice of doctor daughter #RGKarProtest but the Muslim of West Bengal is planning for my ‘sar tan se Juda’ firstly these müslimin had tried hard to put me in jail and now they are ready for sar tan se juda… pic.twitter.com/m181z6NeUI
— Nazia Elahi Khan (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NaziaElahiKhan1) September 4, 2024
She has accused the Kolkata Police and Trinamool Congress leaders of being hand-in-gloves behind falsely implicating her in the case.
Nazia Elahi Khan also revealed that a plan to lynch her was underway when she was presented in the Alipore court.
“First I was arrested by false blasphemy case from Port area Garden Reach police station , then in collusion with the officer of Kolkata Police’s Garden Reach police station, lakhs of Muslims gathered in Alipore court with the conspiracy of my mob lynching. Conspiracy to slit my throat, many TMC MLAs,Muslim Mahila TMC leader direct hand!” she had said in an Instagram post.
