Jammu and Kashmir police arrested one ‘activist’ Waqar H Bhatti on Friday for derogatory remarks against Hindus for their religion with his tweet about the Shivling discovered in the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi. His tweet sparked fury on social media after which several users demanded strict action against him.
BJP leader Baba Chanchal Singh lodged a complaint against Waqar at Gharota police station in the Jammu district for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Waqar Bhatti was arrested by a team of police in the Tangmarg area of Baramulla. Waqar made a nasty remark in a recent tweet, equating a fountain to Shivling and referring to Hindus as ‘Gobar Bhakt.’ Following social media users’ criticism, Waqar deleted the tweet.
Several social media users tagged the J&K Police and requested concerned authorities to initiate action against Waqar. Following the uproar, Waqar Bhatti went on the defence, claiming that he did not make fun of the Shivling or target any religion as the case was still in court.
In a subsequent tweet, he wrote, “I never ever disrespect any religion nor I will in my life because I respect every Religion. The people who are demanding FIR against me are actually doing Politics nothing else.”
Waqar Bhatti was previously booked by the Madhya Pradesh Police in July 2018 for disrupting communal harmony. He was charged with suspicion of disturbing social harmony by posting a video on Facebook. Bhatti was charged with inciting hate amongst various communities under Section 153A of the IPC in an FIR registered at the Padav police station in the Gwalior district.
It is worth noting that several individuals have been charged with hurting Hindu religious feelings by ridiculing the Shivling at the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi.
Following the discovery of the Shivling inside the disputed Gyanvapi mosque’s Wuzukhana, a complaint was recently filed against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, ‘journalist’ Saba Naqvi, Retired IAS Surya Pratap Singh, Peace Party’s Shadab Chouhan, and RJD leader Kumar Divashankar for making derogatory tweets about Lord Shiva. Ratan Lal, a Delhi University professor, was even arrested and then released on bail for spreading another offensive Shivling caricature.
No action has yet been taken on National news daily Economic Times which also published an offensive meme on Shivling.
