Since the morning of Thursday, the news of a UP priest being booked for reciting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ during Azaan is doing rounds everywhere. News media portals have covered the case stating that the priest staged a fast-unto-death demanding action against the administrative officials. However, when OpIndia dived deeper into the case, it has been found that no FIR has been registered against the concerned priest.
On Thursday, it was reported that a Hindu monk, Matsyendra Goswami from Uttar Pradesh’s Orai was booked for chanting Hanuman Chalisa during Azaan. The reports said that Uttar Pradesh Police took action against him for breaching peace. The priest in return accused the police of taking action against him without proper investigation and sat on a fast-unto-death protest in the city’s Gandhi Chauraha.
Apparently, the priest wrote to the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other concerned officials stating that he did not use loudspeakers while chanting Hanuman Chalisa in front of the Station Road Masjid in the city. However, as claimed by him, the police officials took action against him and sent him a notice involving section 111 of the IPC. In the letter, he warns of sitting on a fast until the case against him is not taken back.
On April 20, Matsyendra Goswami was seen protesting at the city square for a while.
अनशन करते हुए बाबा जी को काफी समय बीत गया @myogiadityanath @myogioffice @swatantrabjp @Uppolice @ZeeNews @PMOIndia @DM_Jalaun @NewsNationTV pic.twitter.com/XOO6VwUZRQ
— देवांशु गुप्ता भारतीय संघर्ष पार्टी जिला अध्यक्ष (@guptadevanshu5) April 20, 2022
OpIndia talked to a police officer at the concerned Kotwali Police station, Orai regarding the case. While speaking to OpIndia, a police official requesting anonymity said, “No case was registered against Matsyendra Goswami Baba. He was given a show-cause notice, addressing him to maintain peace and harmony in the area.”
The officer said that when Goswami sat on a protest at Gandhi Chauraha, The police asserted that no case was registered against him. According to the Police, the monk was requested not to indulge in any activity which would disturb the law and order situation after which he willingly ended his fast-until-death.
“उरई जिला जालौन पुलिस का सराहनीय कार्य नोटिस को निरस्त करने की बात कह कर जल पिलाकर खुलवाया अनशन मत्स्येंद्र गोस्वामी बाबाजी का कोतवाल साहब ने जल पिलाकर खुलवाया अनशन @myogiadityanath @Uppolice @ZeeNews @MatsendraGoswa3 @swatantrabjp @AmarUjalaNews @JagranNews pic.twitter.com/LdFOu0UxHN
— देवांशु गुप्ता भारतीय संघर्ष पार्टी जिला अध्यक्ष (@guptadevanshu5) April 20, 2022
While Matsyendra Goswami was not booked under any provisions officially, he was only sent a notice by the local Police station. It seems, the enraged monk sat on a protest which he has ended by now. Earlier, according to the Times Now report, Kotwali police station in-charge Shiv Kumar Rathore claimed that action was taken against Goswami after a complaint was registered against him.
