A Kashmiri YouTuber was arrested by the police in Srinagar on Saturday for creating a video that showed him beheading an effigy of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, PTI reported.
Faisal Wani was arrested as his video caused fear and alarm among the citizens, the police said. An first information report was filed at the Safa Kadal police station in Srinagar. He was arrested under Sections 505 (intending to cause harm) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
In the video, Wani had shown the BJP leader’s beheading accompanied by music from a Turkish serial called the Resurrection, The Hindu reported.
The video, posted on his YouTube channel Deep Pain Fitness, went viral. After social media users called for Wani’s arrest, he deleted the video on Friday night and apologised on Saturday.
In a new video, Wani said that he respects all religions.
“I had uploaded a video last night about Nupur Sharma,” he added. “It was a VFX [visual effects] video which went viral all over India and implicated an innocent person like me. I never have any intention to hurt any other religion, because Islam teaches us to respect other religions.”
The YouTuber requested his audience to make the new video go viral so that the public knows he is sincerely apologetic for his actions.
On May 26, Sharma had made disparaging remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a debate on the Times Now television channel. Naveen Jindal, who was media head of the party’s Delhi unit, had also posted a tweet on June 1 about the Prophet, which he later deleted.
The BJP took no action against both the leaders until June 5, when a chorus of diplomatic outrage began. The party had then suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal.
Protests erupted in Jammu and Kashmir and several others parts of the country on Friday over the remarks of the two BJP leaders.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!