Yati Narsinghanand Arrested For Dharam Sansad Hate Speech Case

Yati Narsinghanand arrested in the Dharam Sansad hate speech case where he made objectionable remarks on women. He is the same priest who had earlier drawn criticism for statements he made during a gathering in Haridwar.

"The charges (in the Dharam Sansad hate speech case) include 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs)," the police official said.

Dharam Sansad controversy

He was addressing an all-women gathering in Haridwar. He said that Hindu women should have more and more children to save their community. “That woman who produces only one child is not a woman but a naagin (serpent),” Narsinghanand says provocatively. He asked women to stand in defence of their religion by ensuring the longevity and quantity of progeny. “Ghar mein kam se kam 5-6 baal gopal ho… Aur bachhe paida karein,” he said adding that it is better not to have kids than have only one.

The viral video showed how he was surrounded by his associates while he made these comments. He further urged families to live in joint setups to preserve culture.

Who is Yati Narsinghanand?

He is a 58-year-old saffron-robed priest who was born in Meerut of Uttar Pradesh. Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati is the main priest/mahant of a temple called Dasna Devi Mandir known for its strict rules and non-entry to Muslim people in the premise.

He completed his graduation in Chemical Engineering from Moscow Institute of Chemical Engineer. He returned to India in 1997 and since 2000, he has been actively seeking the cause of Hindutva Rashtra. He was also a member of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party but quit politics after three months of joining.