New Delhi: In connection with the anti-Muslim slogans raised at Jantar Mantar on August 8, the Delhi Police has arrested an accused by the name Uttam Malik.
In a video recorded at Jantar Mantar, Uttam Malik, who also goes by Uttam Upadhaya, announced that he was a follower of Dasna Devi temple’s (Ghaziabad) head priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, who was booked in April for allegedly making disparaging comments against the Prophet at an event in Delhi.
Police said Uttam was arrested from the New Delhi district when he came to meet his associate. Uttam apparently runs a stationery shop in Ghaziabad and the police are currently trying to discover his connection to the other accused.
So far, police have arrested eight men in connection with the case including former Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay who was granted bail by the Delhi court within 24 hours of his arrest. The investigation has revealed that one of the accused, Deepak Singh Hindu, president of Hindu Force, was invited to the event by Preet Singh, who is the president of Save India organization and known to Upadhyay.
DCP Deepak Yadav had said that they have the documents on record which show that Ashwini Upadhyay had mentioned Preet Singh’s name in his application for organizing the event.
Details of the Jantar-Mantar protest:
The protest on August 8, organized under the banner Bharat Jodo Aandolan demanded a uniform civil code, abolishing of “colonial-era laws” and also saw protestors chanted Islamophobic slogans like “Jab mulle kaate jayenge, hum ram ram chilayenge” (When muslims get killed, we will shout the name of Lord Ram).
The protest witnessed the presence of several BJP leaders and no open condemnation from the AAP party-led Delhi government.