A lawyer has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane for allegedly making Islamophobic comments that have hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.
The petitioner, advocate Mohammed Wasi Sayed, claims that he came across a provocative video featuring self-proclaimed saint Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, who made derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed. During a public event attended by both the Mahant and CM Shinde, the Chief Minister reportedly expressed his support for the Mahant and warned law enforcement against taking action against him as long as Shinde remained in office. Sayed argued that such statements could interfere with ongoing investigations.
MLA Nitesh Rane further escalated tensions by allegedly threatening, “If anybody says anything against Ramgiri Maharaj, we will enter your mosque and hit you one by one.” Rane is also accused of making offensive remarks by referring to Muslims as “homosexuals.”
Sayed contends that these comments are part of a broader rise in Islamophobia in the country, aimed at polarizing voters along communal lines, especially with upcoming state assembly elections. He argued that these remarks are being used to divert public attention from everyday issues to inflame communal tensions.
The petition also draws attention to the growing trend of online hate speech, highlighting the increase in Islamophobic content on social media platforms like Twitter/X. It pointed out that much of this content remains undetected due to being in regional languages, further contributing to incidents like mob lynching.
Sayed also flagged certain social media users who allegedly spread Islamophobic content for political and economic gain, using these platforms to amplify anti-Muslim rhetoric, which he argued has dangerous real-world consequences.
In his plea, Sayed requested the court to order an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Information Technology Act against Shinde and Rane. He also sought a directive to halt the live broadcast of speeches by Rane that target the Muslim community.
The Bombay High Court is expected to hear the petition soon.
