Haridwar hate speech: Yati Narasinghanand released from jail

Dehradun, Feb 18: Dasna temple head priest Yati Narasinghanand who was arrested in January in connection with the Haridwar Dharma Sansad hate speech against Muslims and other cases has been released from jail.

Immediately after walking out of the Haridwar district jail on Thursday, Narsinghanand proceeded to Sarvanand ghat to resume his hunger strike demanding the release of co-accused in the case, Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, formerly known as Waseem Rizvi.

Narsinghanand's release follows bail granted to him on Tuesday by a local court in a case slapped on him under section 509 of the Indian Penal Code for making objectionable remarks against women and abusing a journalist.

Though granted bail in the Dharma Sansad case on February 7, Narsinghanand was still in jail due to the other cases in which the same court granted him bail on Tuesday.

The Hindutva leader had organised a conclave in Haridwar in December last year where several speakers delivered hate speeches against Muslims.

Talking to reporters after coming out of jail, Narsinghanand said his release without that of Tyagi did not mean anything and he was going to resume his hunger strike at the Sarvanand ghat in Haridwar.

He said the protest will continue till Tyagi is released.

Tyagi's bail application will be heard by the Uttarakhand High Court on February 21.

Rizvi, a former Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman, had adopted the name of Jitendra Narayan Tyagi after converting to Hinduism.