SIT to probe Haridwar Dharma Sansad hate speech case

A Special Investigation Team was constituted on Sunday to look into the recently held Dharma Sansad in Haridwar where hate speeches were allegedly delivered by some participants.

A five-member Special Investigation Team has been set up to probe the matter, Garhwal Deputy Inspector General KS Nagnyal said.

When asked whether some arrests were also likely in connection with the case, the DIG said definitely if the investigation leads to concrete evidence.

"We have constituted an SIT. It will carry out a probe. If solid evidence against those involved is found appropriate action will be taken," the official said.

An FIR has already been lodged against five people in the case, including Waseem Rizvi who changed his name to Jitendra Narayan Tyagi after converting to Hinduism last month, Sadhvi Annapurna, Dharamdas, a seer named Sindhu Sagar and organiser of the Sansad Yati Narasimhanand, the head priest of Dasna temple in Ghaziabad.

The BJP government in Uttarakhand is under tremendous pressure from different quarters for acting against those who delivered hate speeches against Muslims at the Dharma Sansad held in Haridwar from December 16-19.

Retired police officers, including former DGPs of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, have written to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami describing the Sansad as a blot on Uttarakhand's long tradition of peaceful coexistence of different religions.

Written by former Haryana DGP Vikas Narain Rai, former Uttar Pradesh DGP Vibhuti Narain Rai, former UP inspector general SR Darapuri and retired IPS Vijay Shankar Singh, the letter demands action against organisers of the event which spread fear and terror.

Muslims also took out marches in Dehradun and Haridwar on Friday and Saturday demanding immediate arrest of those who delivered the provocative speeches at the Sansad.