Islamic Cleric Salman Azhari Arrested By Gujarat ATS From Mumbai In Hate Speech Case; Supporters Protest Outside Police Station

Hundreds of suppporters of Salman Azhari gheraoed the Ghatkopar police station and raised slogans in his support.

Islamic cleric Maulana Mufti Salman Azhari was today arrested by Gujarat ATS from Mumbai's Ghatkopar area in a hate speech case and was taken to the police station where proceeding for his custody was underway. Meanwhile, hundreds of his suppporters gheraoed the Ghatkopar police station and raised slogans in his support. Azhari was booked for his hate speech delived in Gujarat's Junagadh. An FIR was filed after a video of an alleged inflammatory speech delivered by him went viral on social media.

#BreakingNews | मुंबई के घाटकोपर थाने पहुंचे मुफ्ती सलमान अजहरी के समर्थक

मुफ्ती सलमान अजहरी को गुजरात ATS ने भड़काऊ भाषण मामले में हिरासत में लिया है.#MuftiSalmanAzhari #HateSpeech #GujaratATS #Mumbai | @ramm_sharma @Saketrai2000 pic.twitter.com/aGDc09uS66 — Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 4, 2024

Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed outside police station to control the mob.

Junagadh Superintendent of Police Harshad Mehta had said that they were searching for Azhari. The hate speech took place during an occasion held in an open field near the 'B' division police station in Junagadh on Wednesday night.

#BreakingNews | गुजरात ATS ने मुस्लिम धर्मगुरु मौलाना मुफ्ती सलमान अजहरी को हिरासत में ले लिया है. उनके खिलाफ यह कार्रवाई हेट स्पीच के मामले में की गई है. #MuftiSalmanAzhari #HateSpeech #GujaratATS #Mumbai | @Chandans_live @Saketrai2000 pic.twitter.com/H2akPc2kUN — Zee News (@ZeeNews) February 4, 2024

Following the widespread circulation of the video, Azhari, along with local organizers Mohammad Yousuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara, were charged under sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the police, two organisers of the event, Malek and Habib have already been arrested. The police said that the men had taken permission from the police for the gathering stating that Azhari would speak about religion and spread awareness about de-addiction but he delivered an inflammatory speech.