‘Krishna 5-time namazi’: Hindu outfits livid over cleric’s comment

Mathura: Hindu outfits have demanded legal action against an Islamic cleric for describing Hindu deity Krishna as a ‘Paanch waqt ke namazi‘ (one who offers Namaz five times a day). They also want the preacher to also apologise for the comment—made in a video on 23 June, but which recently went viral—claiming it hurt their religious sentiments.

Mahendra Pratap Singh, the president of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Nyas, rubbished the statement and said that there is no scriptural or historical basis to the statement made by maulana Jarjis at a religious gathering in Jharkhand. He added that it was an attempt at cultural misappropriation.

Hindu preacher Mudgal Kant Shastri also objected vehemently to the statement, calling it a deliberate slur on the beliefs of Hindus. He said that for the maulana to call Krishna, one of the central deities of the Sanatan Dharma, a follower of an Islamic worship practice, is highly disrespectful to the beliefs of over 1.2 billion followers of Sanatan Dharma worldwide, besides being completely unfounded both chronologically and theologically.

“We demand an unconditional apology from the Maulana for his statement and urge the government to take legal action against him, if he doesn’t apologise,” said Shastri.

Several other Hindu outfits and leaders have demanded that the Jharkhand government register a case against the Islamic cleric and initiate legal proceedings against him.

Vishal Sharma, vice-chairman of the All India Hindustani Biradari, an organisation engaged in the promotion of communal harmony, said that any statements that are made on public platforms and involve religious and social commentary, should be made with due respect and responsibility towards the sentiments of people who may listen and get affected by them. Such irresponsible statements can lead to the disruption of public order and cause social tension, which should be avoided at all costs, he said

Hindu preacher Pandit Yashpal Shastri said the statement made by the maulana was historically untenable, as while  Krishna lived in the Braj region of Aryavarta thousands of years ago, Islam as a religion originated in the seventh century AD in Saudi Arabia.

“If the cleric was trying to reinterpret Krishna through the theological lens of his faith, by claiming that many religions and ‘prophets’ preached worshipping ‘One God’, then it is his belief, and not something consistent with historical accounts. He should have kept his contentious beliefs to himself, especially when he was commenting on one of the primary religious figures of Sanatan culture, who is also considered the eighth avatar of Vishnu,” Shastri said.

The remarks made by the cleric have resulted in widespread contention and debate on social media as well. Mohd. Zahid, a well-known social media commentator, said people like Jarjis Ansari are the real enemies of Muslims in this country.

Another commentator Ramashankar Suman said that there is a difference between Krishna and a prophet and to compare the deity with a prophet is dishonoring the Hindu faith and a criminal offence.

This episode has highlighted the long-debated issue of sensitivity of religious matters in a diverse society like India, especially when statements disparaging the beliefs held sacred by one or the other community in the country, are made by religious and political leaders ascribing to competing religious beliefs.

From Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, maulana Jarjis Ansari has been a controversial figure and has been embroiled in legal trouble several times in the past over his activities and statements. He’s been known to make controversial and instigating comments, and in 2022, he courted legal trouble when he urged muslim women to not refuse sex to their husbands even when pregnant, as it was a sinful act.

Later the same year, he was convicted of rape in a 2016 case by a fast-track court in Varanasi and sentenced to ten years imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine. He is currently out on bail but the current controversy has resulted in the filing of over 90 complaints against him all over Uttar Pradesh, as well as an FIR filed in the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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