Alt-News co-founder Mohammed Zubair has been booked by the Uttar Pradesh police for a tweet where he called three controversial Hindu leaders — Yati Narasinghanand, Mahant Bajrang Muni and Anand Swaroop — ‘hatemongers’. Zubair has been booked under charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for outraging Hindu sentiments and Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act. These Hindu leaders whom Zubair called hatemongers are known for making provocative and objectionable remarks against Muslims, and Yati Narsinghanand was also jailed in a hate speech case and later given bail.

On May 27, Zubair had called out a television channel for its reportage on the Gyanvapi issue and for allowing BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma to make provocative remarks against Prophet Mohammed on air. Zubair in a series of tweets had said that prime time debates on television channels “have become a platform to encourage hate mongers to speak ill about other religions.”

In another tweet, Zubair said, “Why do we need Hate Mongers like Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati or Mahant Bajrang Muni or Anand Swaroop to arrange a Dharam Sansad to speak against a community and a Religion when we already have Anchors who can do much better job from News Studios (sic).”

Well done @vineetjaintimes! Why do we need Hate Mongers like Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati or Mahant Bajrang Muni or Anand Swaroop to arrange a Dharam Sansad to speak against a community and a Religion when we already have Anchors who can do much better job from News Studios.

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) May 27, 2022

This is the tweet that was mentioned in the complaint filed by a man named Bhagwan Sharan, who identifies himself as the district head of Rashtriya Hindu Sher Sena, as per a report by The Wire.

An FIR has been lodged against @zoo_bear in Khairabad, Sitapur PS because he called Yati, Bajrang Muni and other mahants "HateMongers" in his tweet on 27th may.

Bajrang Muni, Yati Narsinhanand had openly called for genocide of muslims/women and are out on bail. pic.twitter.com/NDsm5RC4be

— Satyam Tiwari (@BBauuaa) June 1, 2022

Many social media users pointed out that other news channels have also termed these Hindutva leaders as hatemongers but action has been taken only against Zubair.

H A T E M O N G E R pic.twitter.com/FESNUXGWKD

— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) June 1, 2022

Yati Narsinganand is known for making hateful and divisive comments against Muslims and has also been jailed for the same. He was booked after hate speeches were made between December 17-19 last year, in two events organised in Haridwar and in Delhi, by an organisation self-styled as Hindu Yuva Vahini, with the apparent objective of declaring war against a significant section of the Indian citizenry. Yati Narsinghanand is currently out on bail, but he has not stopped making provocative statements. Mahant Bajrang Muni was caught on camera threatening sexual violence against Muslim women and calling for a ‘mass genocide.’