Ajmer Dargah Khadim arrested over 'beheading' remarks against Nupur Sharma
Police arrested Ajmer Dargah Khadim Salman Chishti on Tuesday night for reportedly making inflammatory comments against suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The case has been filed against him on Monday night after his video surfaced allegedly declaring he would offer his house to anybody who would bring Sharma's head. Chishti is also allegedly heard saying he would shoot her dead for insulting the Prophet.
Why does this story matter?
BJP's now-suspended spokesperson Sharma had made controversial remarks about Prophet Mohammad during a TV channel debate on the Gyanvapi Mosque issue. Her remarks sparked uproar and elicited responses from religious organizations, political parties, and Gulf countries, prompting the BJP to suspend her. Many violent reactions were also reported in the country after which Supreme Court slammed Sharma and blamed her for the violence.
What did the police say?
Police said Chishti made the video in a drunken state. Chishti was apprehended at his home in Khadim mohalla, according to Ajmer Assistant Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan "Prima facie, he made the video in an inebriated condition. He is being interrogated further," Sangwan added. Meanwhile, the Dargah police station's in-charge, Dalbeer Singh Foujdar, said that "Chishti is a historysheeter."
How did Dargah administration respond?
Meanwhile, Ajmer Dargah Dewan Zainul Abedin Ali Khan denounced Chisti's views and stated that the shrine is a haven of communal harmony. He stated that the ideas conveyed by the 'khadim' in the video cannot be regarded as a message from the Dargah. Previously, four persons were detained in connection with another controversial remark reportedly given near the Dargah main entrance on June 17.
Murder accused invoked former BJP spokesperson's statement
Nupur Sharma's statements were also used by the accused in the murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur. In another video, the perpetrators identified themselves as Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad, bragged about the "beheading," and were later apprehended.
Supreme Court's strong ruling over Sharma's comments
Last week, Supreme Court stated that Sharma has a "loose tongue" and is "single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country" including the purported murder of Tailor in Udaipur for disseminating her words. Notably, the court denied Sharma's request to combine FIRs filed against her in several states with the one filed in Delhi over her statements against the Prophet.
Will we be hanged or...? Udaipur killers ask NIA interrogators
According to the Hindustan Times, the two suspects in the murder of the Udaipur tailor, Riyaz and Ghouse, have asked NIA interrogators a basic question. "Will we be hanged or given life imprisonment for our crime by the court?" they asked. On June 28, the detained duo allegedly carried out an ISIS-style execution on tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur for supporting Sharma.
