He submitted this while opposing a petition which sought the registration of an FIR against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for sharing a stage with Ramgiri Maharaj after FIRs were registered against him.
The petition seeking the FIR against Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde was filed by advocate Mohammad Wasi Sayed and others, who claimed that since 2014, there has been “a significant increase in communal incidents, with state and Union governments allegedly preserving and promoting systematic Islamophobic practices, leading to mob lynchings, riots, and the marginalization of Muslims.”
Advocate Ejaz Naqvi, representing the petitioners, further argued that rather than taking action against Ramgiri Maharaj, Chief Minister Shinde appeared on stage with him and made a public statement affirming that saints would be protected in the state.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Bombay High Court bench, comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, observed that petitions concerning the removal of the seer’s videos and the registration of FIRs for the alleged hate speech are already under consideration.
‘You are making the issue political’: Bombay HC slams Muslim lawyers for demanding FIR against CM Shinde for sharing stage with Ramgiri Maharaj
“We can’t stop them from giving speeches, but the police are taking action and registering FIRs wherever they can. Just because they (Eknath Shinde and Ramgiri) are sharing a stage, it does not mean that FIR should be registered. You have to show malafides. If there is a breach, there are FIRs being registered. You (Naqvi) are making the issue political. When you digress from the core issue, then this is what happens. Your core issue is to take down videos,” the bench said.
Saraf also opposed the plea, stating that FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj had already been registered, with a total of 67 FIRs filed as of September 19.
The bench remarked, “One cannot initiate proceedings like this,” emphasizing that the Chief Minister’s name should be removed from the list of respondents in the petition. Agreeing with this, the bench warned that costs could be imposed on the petitioners if not addressed.
The court directed advocate Naqvi to revise his prayers and remove all respondents except the cyber police and local police officials. The bench stated, “Police have a mechanism. They will deal with this.”
The petition is scheduled for further hearing on October 17.
When protestors including minors had raised ‘Sar tan se juda’ slogans against the Hindu seer
It may be recalled how in August this year, the alleged ‘blasphemous’ comments made by Ramgiri Maharaj triggered widespread outrage within the Islamist community, sparking massive protests across Maharashtra and other parts of the country. Protestors demanded the beheading of the Hindu saint, with several videos of these violent demonstrations going viral on social media. In these videos, protestors can be seen chanting slogans like ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ (beheading), further escalating tensions. In fact, even minors were seen shouting slogans for the beheading of Ramgiri Maharaj.
"Peaceful" Mob outside Pune Collector's office demanding Bеh€ading of Hindu saint Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj chanting "Allah Hu Akbar" "S@r Tan se Juda"#MahantRamgiriMaharaj pic.twitter.com/dS1sh2Xt34
— Rosy (@rose_k01) August 24, 2024
Protests happened in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Pune, Thane, Mumbai, Chhatarpur, etc. However, the one that happened in the Mumbra region of Thane was taken cognizance of by the NCPCR as several minor children could be seen raising beheading slogans against the Hindu saint.
