Porbandar: A Muslim cleric has been accused of allegedly insulting the Tricolour and asking Muslims not to sing the national anthem. The Gujarat Police arrested him from Porbandar in Gujarat after an audio clip in this regard went viral on social media.
The accused, identified as Wasid Raza, who is a maulvi of Nagina Masjid in Porbandar, was detained after an FIR was lodged against him. “Someone posted an audio clip in a WhatsApp group called 'Bahar-e-Sharif', in which Raza is the admin. In the audio clip, it was asked whether Muslims should unfurl the national flag and sing the national anthem. Raza replied that Muslims can hoist the flag but not salute it. Also, he said that they should not sing the national anthem due to some words that are used in it," Bhagirath Singh Jadeja, SP, Porbandar said.
Jadeja said that one Azim Yunus Qadri filed a complaint against the cleric at Porbandar's Kirtimandir police station late last night. A case was registered in this regard and Raza was booked under sections 153, 153A, 153B (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505 and 505A (circulate statement, rumour, promote enmity) of the IPC and under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, Jadeja said.
After the video went viral, some people went to him asking for proof to substantiate his statements. They said that if such a thing is written in any book then he should show it following which, a dispute rose between his followers. "Raza is a salaried cleric and hails from Uttar Pradesh. He is not a religious leader," complainant, Azim Yunus Qadri said.
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In a press conference in Porbandar, police officials said that Raza was interrogated on the basis of the viral audio clip. Police said that Raza confessed it was his voice and that he had made such a statement
