In a recent video statement, Islamophob Yati Narsinghanand, facing charges over a blasphemous speech against Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, has appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his release, describing his detention as “illegal.” Narsinghanand’s appeal comes as he seeks to address a PIL filed against him.
The PIL, filed two days earlier by Muslim scholar Mohammad Yusuf, secretary of Maharashtra’s Hazrat Khwaja Garib Nawaz Welfare Association, was reported by PTI. The video, shared with media by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati Foundation, shows Narsinghanand alleged potential threats from “trained killers.” He also stated his desire to clarify his statement on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, explaining he needs access to Islamic texts and literature to gather evidence for this clarification.
Narsinghanand was booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code earlier this month for making blasphemous remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a programme in Ghaziabad on September 29. The complaint was filed by Trivendra Singh, a police officer at Sihani Gate police station, citing the offence as an attack on religious sentiments.
