Bahraich (UP), Mar 31 (PTI) A cleric accused of making objectionable remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his mother has been arrested from Bihar and sent to jail by a court here, police said on Tuesday.

Maulana Abdullah Salim Qasmi alias Chaturvedi, a resident of Araria district in Bihar, was apprehended by the UP Special Task Force (STF) Gorakhpur unit from Purnea on Monday evening and brought to Bahraich in connection with a controversial speech, said to be of a May 2024 event, that had surfaced on social media earlier this month, sparking protests, they said.

An FIR was lodged against him under BNS sections 196 (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth…), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings…) and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), the police said.

“In recent days, a video went viral on social media in which a person named Mohammad Salim, a resident of Araria district in Bihar, was seen making objectionable remarks against the Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on a public platform. In this connection, cases were registered in Balrampur and Bahraich districts,” Inspector General of Police, Devipatan Range, Amit Pathak said.

“Today, the STF unit of Gorakhpur brought the accused from Bihar to Kotwali Nagar police station in Bahraich for questioning. During interrogation, the individual admitted to his statement and sought an apology. Further legal action in the matter is being carried out by Kotwali Nagar police station in Bahraich,” Pathak said in a video statement.

Circle Officer (City) Narayan Dutt Mishra told PTI that the FIR was registered on March 8 at Kotwali Nagar police station in Bahraich on a complaint by the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s legal cell district convenor and advocate, Ajit Pratap Singh.

After being brought to Bahraich, the accused was produced in court on Tuesday which remanded him to judicial custody, Mishra said.

Meanwhile, a purported video of the cleric shows him acknowledging his remarks and apologising.

In the video, he says that during a speech delivered on May 5, 2024, at an educational awareness conference in Bhagalpur, Bihar, he made inappropriate comments which “should not have been said”.

“I fold my hands and sincerely apologise for my mistake. Such an error will not be repeated in the future,” he is heard saying in the clip, also seeking forgiveness from the chief minister.

The police confirmed that the viral video features the same accused.

After the purported video of the cleric’s 2024 remarks resurfaced on social media, protests by right-wing groups were held in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, including the state capital Lucknow, earlier this month.

FIRs were also registered in Balrampur district, while complaints were submitted to the police in Lucknow and other places.

Several BJP leaders, including Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan, had termed the cleric’s remarks “condemnable and unacceptable”. PTI COR KIS RT