Repeat Of Kamlesh Tiwari? Delhi Police Say They Have Uncovered Plot To Assassinate Dasna Priest For ‘Blasphemy’

The Delhi police have said that they have uncovered a plot for assassination of Dasna priest Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati, and made an arrest.

The police have named the arrested person as Mohammed Jaan Dar alias Jehangir from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. The arrest was made around 10 days ago.

A report by The Times of India says that Delhi police’s special cell and sleuths of an intelligence agency raided one Hotel Shiva in Paharganj. They seized a bhagwa dress, a kalawa, a mala and chandan tikka besides a 0.30 bore pistol and ammunition.

Hunt for two people suspected of helping Mohammed Dar is on, police said.

While the Times report says that the target of the assassination plot was a person who has indulged in blasphemy, the Indian Express has named the target as Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati, quoting police.

The Express report says that as per the police, 24-year-old Mohammed Dar is a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist.

The report further says that the accused told police during questioning that in December 2020, he met a person near his home named Abid who said he was from Pakistan. They became friends and remained in touch on Whatsapp.

It was Abid who gave Mohammed Dar the assignment to kill Saraswati.

Police have said that Abid trained Dar, and gave him a cash of Rs 6,500 followed by Rs 35,000 through online transfer. Abid also asked him to “change his getup” to gain entry to the temple, police said, as per the Express report.

In February, the Dasna priest made some remarks critical to Prophet Mohammed at a gathering in Delhi Press Club. The video of the remarks was widely circulated on social media.

Swarajya is not reproducing the content of his statement as even quoting ‘blasphemous’ content against Prophet Mohammed has resulted in murders in the recent past.

Narasinghanand has had several police cases filed against him as police stations across the country over his remarks. At least one FIR was filed in Delhi on a complaint by Aam Aadmi Party’s Amanatullah Khan.

Before giving the complaint, Khan had tweeted that the only punishment fit for ‘blasphemy’ against Prophet Mohammad is beheading. Twitter pulled down Khan’s post a day later.

In March and April, several rallies and protests were held in various parts of the country against Narasinghanand. Most gatherings were accompanied by the crowds calling for his beheading.

“Gustakh-E-Rasool ki ek hi saza, sar tan se juda, sar tan se juda” [There is only one punishment for speaking against the Prophet and that is beheading]” – this slogan was raised at several rallies.

Earlier this month, a protest against Narasinghanand was held even in Bangladesh.

The Maulana who led the protest was caught on video saying that unless “Hindus” collectively apologise for Narasinghanand’s statements, they will see bodies all around that won’t even get a cremation ground.

Hindus must apologise to Allah’s Prophet or their bodies will be left for kites and crows to feed on, the Maulana said.

It is pertinent to mention here that in 2019, a Hindutva leader named Kamlesh Tiwari was assassinated for ‘blasphemous’ remarks against Prophet Mohammed.

It was said to be the first blasphemy killing in India after independence.