The Aligarh district administration on Monday issued a show-cause notice to the organisers of an event called the “Sant Samagam” in the city after some speakers made derogatory remarks about Muslims, PTI reported.
The event, held on Sunday, was attended by Hindutva supremacist seers Yati Narsinghanand and Kalicharan. Both of them are facing trial in cases of hate speech and are currently out on bail.
Additional City Magistrate Kunwar Bahadur Singh said that the organisers have been asked to reply to the notice within 24 hours, failing which legal action will be taken against them.
The notice charged the organisers for violating the terms of the permission granted for the event, according to The Indian Express.
“Permission was taken for food distribution and a ceremony for priests,” the notice read. “It was brought to our notice that swords were brandished at the event despite a ban on carrying weapons. There are also reports that comments were made regarding a religious minority to incite sentiments.”
At the event, Kalicharan said that the country was facing a major threat due to the “growing population of Muslims”, PTI reported. He said the only way to address the problem posed by “jihadi elements” was the establishment of a Hindu nation.
“Everywhere [in India] Pakistan is going to be created,” Kalicharan can be seen saying in a video from Sunday’s event. “Crackers are burst when India loses to Pakistan in a cricket match. Imagine, if Modi [prime minister] declares war with Pakistan, who will these Muslims support? If you cannot understand this then think about how you will feel when hundreds of Muslims will…[rape] your sisters, mothers, wife or lovers.”
In December, Kalicharan had been arrested from Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho town after he was seen in a video using an expletive about Mahatma Gandhi and accusing him of destroying the country at an event in Raipur. He was granted bail by the Chhattisgarh High Court in April.
At Sunday’s event in Aligarh, Yati Narsinghanand called upon Hindus to give birth to more children, PTI reported.
“Otherwise they [Hindus] will be swamped by the Muslims by 2029,” he said, adding that there was a “real possibility that by 2029 India would have a Muslim prime minister and states would have Muslim chief ministers”.
In 2015, Scroll.in had reported that with current trends, it will take 220 years for India’s Muslim population to equal Hindu numbers. Between 1951 and 2011, Hindu population increased from 30.04 crore to 96.6 crore, according to Pew Research Centre. In the same duration, the Muslim population increased from 3.5 crore to 17.2 crore.
Narsinghanand was arrested in December after he had called for the genocide of Muslims at an event in Haridwar. He was granted bail on February 7 on the condition that he would not participate in any gathering “which aims towards creating difference between communities”.
However, since then he has violated the bail condition on multiple occasions. On April 3, Narsinghanand had asked Hindus to take up arms at an event in Delhi’s Burari area. The police had lodged a first information report against him in this matter.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!