Muslim scholar Mufti Salman Azhari, who was recently granted bail in all ‘hate speech’ cases, has now been booked by the Junagadh police under the Gujarat PASA Act (Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985).
He was shifted from Sabarmati Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad to Vadodara Central Jail late on Thursday, February 22, under heavy police security.
Azhari was recently granted bail in all registered cases against him in Gujarat.
On February 5, Azhari was arrested from Mumbai for delivering an alleged hate speech on January 31 at an event held on an open ground near the ‘B’ division police station in Junagadh city.
He along with local organisers was booked under Sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief) of the IPC.
His arrest created a furore in the Muslim community who gathered in hundreds at the Ghatkopar police station, where he was being held, demanding his immediate release. Five persons were later detained for throwing stones at a public bus.
As tension escalated, the police asked Azhari to tell the crowd to disperse. In a loudspeaker, Azhari said, “Neither am I a criminal, nor have I been brought here for committing a crime. They are doing the required investigation and I am also cooperating with them. I am ready to be arrested if it is in my destiny.”
On February 7, Azhari was granted bail but was re-arrested by the Kutch police in connection with an alleged inflammatory speech during a religious event at Samakhiari on January 31.
Azhari, successfully secured bail for the second case.
However, on February 9, Azhari was booked for a third alleged hate speech registered against him at Modasa police station. Apart from sections 153B and 505(2), he was charged under section 298 for “uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person”.
The police also invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleging he used derogatory terms against the SC community in his speech.
Who is Mufti Salman Azhari?
Maulana Mufti Salman Azhari is a Sunni scholar and motivational speaker from Mumbai. He is the founder of Jamia Riyaz-ul-Jannah, Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust, and Dar-ul-Amaan.
He graduated from the prestigious Islamic learning centers Islamic Dawah from Jamia Al-Azhar located in Cairo, Egypt.
Azhari’s speeches are reportedly inspiring mainly to the young Muslim population, earning him a significant following globally. He is also involved in various socio-religious activities.
