On 7th October, two school-going teenagers, one Hindu and one Muslim, got into an online spat via Direct Messages on Instagram. At around 5 PM, their conversation turned to religion, and both made comments about each other’s faith. However, the comment made by the Hindu teenager was made viral on social media by the Muslim teenager with allegations that he used “derogatory” language for Mohammad.
As the post went viral, a Muslim mob of thousands took to the streets, raising “Sar Tan Se Juda” slogans against the Hindu teenager, demanding his immediate arrest. In the screenshot shared by the Muslim teenager that went viral, it was visible that he had shared a video of Mufti Salman Azhari, after which the Hindu boy retaliated.
In the video, he essentially said that when Muslims don’t speak about the character of Bhagwan Ram, Bhagwan Krishna, Bhagwan Gautam Buddha, or Shri Guru Nanak Dev, then who gave ‘them’ the right to criticise Prophet Muhammad? However, the language he used was extremely derogatory towards Hindus. He said, “To tum kaunse kutte ho jo mere Mohammad-e-Aarbi par bhonkte ho? Tumhein kya haq banta hai mere deen par ungli uthane ka.” (So, what kind of dogs are you to bark about my Prophet Muhammad? What right do you have to raise a finger at my religion?).
It is pertinent to note that this was classic dog-whistling by Mufti Azhari. It is untrue that derogatory words are not used by Muslims against Hindu Gods and Goddesses. However, it was a speech to signal to the Muslim crowd that any remark against Islam must not be tolerated.
Mufti Azhari has a long history of making derogatory remarks towards Hindus. In February 2024, Mufti Salman Azhari made headlines for his provocative speech in Junagadh. An FIR was registered against him, along with two organisers, for his comments. The speech was given on 31st January during a programme attended by a large number of Muslims on the grounds of Narayan Vidya Mandir near the Junagadh court.
In the video, Azhari says, “Abhi to Karbala ka akhiri maidan baqi hai… Kuch der ki khamoshi hai, fir shore ayega… Aaj kutton ka waqt hai, kal hamara daur ayega.” (The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. Today is the time of the dogs, tomorrow will be our time).” After saying this, he chants, “Labbek Ya Rasulullah” and the crowd in front repeats it. This 22-second video is going viral on social media, with people demanding action.
મુસ્લિમોની એક ભવ્ય સભા થઈ ગઈ..
— Naresh Kumbhani 🇮🇳(Modi ka Parivaar) (@inareshkumbhani) February 1, 2024
વક્તા હતા.મુફતી મુહમ્મદ સલમાન અઝહરી..
જાહેરમાં બોલ્યા આજ કુતો કા વક્ત હૈ કલ હમારા આયેગા.. *આટલું ભડકાઉ ભાષણ છે pic.twitter.com/t9U1bWJdv9
At the beginning of his speech, Azhari mentions the history of Junagadh and says that the people of Junagadh did not fall into the hands of anyone. “It took several attempts to get them inside. Just as you did not come into anyone’s hands easily, I want you today not to wear someone else’s belt around your neck; we only have the servitude of Tajdar-e-Madinah,” he said.
Then, Azhari and the crowd start chanting the slogan ‘Ghulam Hai Ghulam Hai, Rasool Ke Ghulam Hai’ (We are slaves, we are slaves, we are the slaves of the Prophet). Further, he said, “Muslims are beaten, slaughtered, children killed, women robbed, houses destroyed, mosques burnt, but it is not their leader who brings them back together. Time and again they have been scattered and reunited, and come alive in the name of Mohammed, gathered in the name of Tajdar-e-Madinah.”
OpIndia’s detailed exclusive report can be seen here.
As his video went viral, police registered a suo motu FIR in the matter at the Junagadh B Division Police Station. Subsequently, he was arrested by Gujarat police from Mumbai. After securing transit remand from a Mumbai court, he was brought to Gujarat where a local court sent him to 2-days police remand.
જૂનાગઢ શહેરમાં લોકોની લાગણી દુભાય તેવા નિવેદન આપનારા ઈસમો વિરૂદ્ધ કાર્યવાહી કરતી જૂનાગઢ બી ડિવિઝન પોલીસ.@sanghaviharsh @dgpgujarat @GujaratPolice @IGP_JND_Range #GujaratPolice #junagadhpolice #Police #crimecontrol pic.twitter.com/zX0POmIgf8
— SP Junagadh (@SP_Junagadh) February 2, 2024
Notably, when he was brought to Ghatkopar Police Station in Mumbai, a large crowd gathered outside the police station, demanding his release. The Mumbai Police, however, stated that the crowd had been dispersed and brought under control. “In Mumbai, there is peace, the Ghatkopar area is also peaceful. Don’t believe any rumours. I want to tell the people of Mumbai that, for them, Police are on the road,” DCP Hemrajsingh Rajput said. Following the arrest of Azhari, the National spokesperson of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Waris Pathan, claimed that the preacher had not delivered any provocative speech and that he must be given justice.
His arrest caused ripple effects as several Islamic leaders, Maulanas and Maulvis got irked and started giving controversial statements. A speaker at the Gareeb Nawaz Conference organised in Mumbra on 6th February was heard giving an inciteful speech while speaking in support of Azhari. A clipping from Sayyed Shahbat Hussain’s hate speech has gone viral on social media. In this clipping, he can be heard saying that the Muslims have and will always abide by the Indian laws but on the condition that Salman Azhari be released.
📍 Mumbra
— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) February 6, 2024
Sayyed Shahbat Hussain called for Jihad at Gareeb Nawaz Conference.
This Islamîst is instigating Muslims for suicide bombing too.
Link: https://t.co/mGS6ppcVJl…
Dear @MumbaiPolice,
immediate action needed.
CC: @DGPMaharashtra @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/ulhkgLaDuk
“Salman Azhari should be released and it should be conveyed that Salman Azhari is not alone, all Barelvi Muslims are with him,” Hussain said in an inciteful address and the crowd broke into loud cheers chanting Islamic slogans. According to his Instagram bio, Sayed Shabahat Hussain Qaudri is a Muslim cleric who looks after the Jinhata Shareef mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandausi. OpIndia’s detailed report on his provocative speech can be checked here.
Later on 8th February, Junagadh court granted Mufti Azhari bail but as another FIR was registered by Kutch police, he was re-arrested and sent to police remand for another two days. Meanwhile, it was reported that Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) will investigate a terror angle in the event. Speaking to IndiaTV, Gujrat ATS SP Om Prakash Jat said that the event in a school compound in Junagadh on 31st January was organised as an ‘anti-drug awareness’ program. “This event was presented as an ‘anti-drugs awareness’ program, however, Maulana Salman Azhari in a planned manner delivered an inflammatory speech with the purpose of inciting communal hatred between two religious communities. Not only in Junagadh, but he (Azhari) also gave a similar provocative speech in the Samiyakhali police station area in Kutch,” Jat said.
The Gujarat ATS SP further informed that accused Mufti Azhari has a controversial history adding that multiple cases are lodged against him in various states. “In Karnataka, there are five FIRs against him and in Maharashtra as well…nearly double in Gujarat. So he has a history…We have also taken cognisance a Sufi Khanqah Association leader Mohammad Kausar Hasan Siddiqui’s allegation that Mufti Azhari has links with foreign terrorist organisations,” SP Jat said adding that the Sufi Khanqah president’s allegations that Mufti Azhari is working on the agenda of Ghazwa-e-Hind will also be investigated.
It also came to light that Mufti Salman Azhari withdrew ₹27.75 lakh from a charitable trust account within 1 year. The matter came to light during a probe by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Junagadh district police into the financial dealings and foreign trips of Salman Azhari. This crucial piece of information was conveyed to the judicial magistrate of Junagadh by Inspector JJ Patel through an affidavit. According to the LCB, a whopping ₹52 lakh was deposited in the bank account of Salman Azhari-run charitable trust ‘Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust’ in 2023. The police are now investigating the money trail and determining whether funds have been channelled for illegal activities. “We are investigating who deposited this money…As per the bank account statement, (Azhari) himself withdrew Rs 27.75 lakh from it. We are investigating how he used the money. If it emerges that the money was used for illegal activities, we may need his presence for interrogation,” Inspector JJ Patel stated opposing the bail application of Salman Azhari.
The series of FIRs did not stop there. Mufti Salman Azhari was then arrested within 24-hours of the Bhachau Court of Kutch granting him bail by the Modasa police in another hate speech case. The court granted five days remand after Mufti Azhari was produced in the court. Mufti Azhari addressed a gathering at Modasa in December of last year. Police appointed a prosecutor and registered an FIR against him after they obtained a video of his speech upon learning about the Junagadh case and discovering that he had made outrageous statements. Furthermore, the event’s organiser, Ishaq was identified as an accused party. He was later nabbed, taken to court and placed under three days of remand. On Sunday (February 11), a Bhachau court granted him conditional bail and the judge released him on a Rs 30,000 bond. After that, Aravalli Police took him to Modasa Town Police Station.
Meanwhile, another old video of Mufti Salman Azhari surfaced on social media where he was heard using casteist and derogatory slurs against Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. In a 49-second-long video, Mufti Azhari attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his bulldozer action against criminals. Azhari asserted that CM Yogi was bulldozing houses and shops of poor Muslims and while doing this he was heard using highly derogatory slurs against Uttar Pradesh CM. This video was shared by a YouTube channel named ‘Barakati Network’ on 5th November 2023.
“People across the land of Hindustan are getting scared, they have started panicking (Hindustan ki sarzameen par log abhi se ghabrane lag gaye, darne lag gaye). What will happen…if these thieves, Ch*mar, such an animal living in the jungle bulldoze a poor person’s house then do not be afraid (Kya hoga…arey chor, ch*mar aaye, jungle mein rehne wale aise janwar hukumton par baith kar ke agar kisi gareeb ke ghar par bulldozer chalate hain toh tum khauf na khana). This baba [Yogi Adityanath] has less strength than even insects (keede).
You [Muslims] should not fear their terror (Arey ye toh keedon se bhi kam taaqat rakhne wale baba [Yogi Adityanath] hain jinki haibat se tumko ghabrane ki zarurat nahi darne ki zarurat nahi). Challenge them and say that you have destroyed a house or bulldozed someone’s shop. These are walls and can be built again (Unko lalkaar karke kaho tumne toh ek ghar nasht kiya hai ya kisi ki dukaan par bulldozer chalaya hai. Ye toh deewarein hain ban jayengi). And if it pleases you then run your bulldozer over our chests, even then we will keep calling the name of our Prophet (Jis din tumhara mann kare seene par chalao uss waqt bhi hum apne nabi ka naam pukaarte rahenge),” Mufti Salman Azhari said.
How the Hindu boy is being targeted
In this case, it is evident yet again that the Hindu boy merely responded to a Muslim boy sharing a video of a Mufti who has not only previously made disparaging and threatening remarks against Hindus but has also been booked multiple times for his hate towards Hindus. An argument which was between two teenagers snowballed after the Muslim boy made the Hindu boy’s comments selectively viral without giving context to what he had said.
Thereafter, a Muslim mob raised the murderous slogan Sar Tan Se Juda and gathered in thousands. The police had to use mild force to disperse the crowd promising that action would be taken against the Hindu teenager. Interestingly, no action has been promised or taken against the Muslim boy in the case.
Further, OpIndia also reported that the the Hindu boy had released a video folding his hands and apologising for the remarks. His apology, however, had no impact on the Muslim boy, the Muslim mob chanting for his beheading or the online trolls doxxing him to endanger his life.
The Hindu boy was further endangered when the Media and Muslim social media users started doxxing the Hindu minor and revealing his identity, painting a target on his back for a mob that was already baying for his blood.
What is happening now to the Hindu boy is a story that is oft repeated. Even in the case of Nupur Sharma, it was the Muslim panellist, Tasleem Rehmani, who had first made a disparaging and derogatory remark against the Shivling found in Gyanvapi. It was only then that Nupur Sharma had retaliated quoting verses of the Hadiths. After that, Muslim mobs from across the world had given her rape, gang rape and beheading threats. Even in India, mobs had taken to the streets chanting “Sar Tan Se Juda”. Meanwhile, in the Nupur Sharma case, Tasleem Rehmani was not booked for his comments. The case of the Hindu boy now is similar where he has been booked despite issuing an apology and the Muslim boy and the Muslim boy chanting for his death have escaped the process of the law.
