Ghaziabad: Nand Kishore Gurjar, the BJP MLA from Loni in Ghaziabad, has alleged that a crowd outside the Dasna Devi temple threw stones during a protest against the temple’s head priest, Yati Narsinghanand, who is facing FIRs for allegedly making offensive remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
In a video that surfaced and was reported by PTI, Gurjar is heard saying, “The attack on the temple is an attack on Sanatan Dharma.” He criticised the police for not taking stronger action during the protest, saying, “The police pretended to use force last night. They should have shot at least 10-20 people. This is an attack on Hindutva as a whole. If 10-20 people were killed in one night, there wouldn’t be anyone left to cause such trouble.”
Loni MLA sparks row
The Loni MLA further questioned why stones were thrown at a temple, asking, “When slogans of ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ are raised, do Hindus throw stones at a mosque?” He also called for strict action under the National Security Act (NSA) against those involved in the incident, saying, “This is an attack on Hindu faith. NSA should be imposed, and those who haven’t been arrested should be killed in an encounter with a bounty placed on their heads.”
MLA defends Yati
Defending Narsinghanand, Gurjar said that the priest’s comments may have been made out of anger, adding, “What Maharaj ji (Yati) said is a separate issue. Given the continuous attacks on Sanatan Dharma, the killing of daughters and the situation in Bangladesh, it is understandable that he may have spoken in anger.” In response to the situation, security around the Dasna temple has been beefed up and the police have enforced restrictions on gatherings of five or more people across the city of Uttar Pradesh.
