New Delhi: Reacting to the controversy over the slogan ‘Kashmir will become Pakistan,’ Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal on Friday said it was difficult to understand how such a mindset develops.
The remarks came after Maharashtra Police arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly playing the provocative song ‘Kashmir Banega Pakistan’ at a high volume near a temple in Chinchoti area of Palghar district, triggering outrage among local residents.
Speaking to IANS, Vinod Bansal said, “It is difficult to understand how this mindset develops — people who eat in India but sing praises of Pakistan. Where is this mentality coming from? Who is nurturing it, who is providing protection to such elements, and who is poisoning their thinking? This must be thoroughly investigated.”
He further said that the matter should not be limited to the arrest of one individual alone. “This is not just about action against a single person. All those associated with him and those who played a role in radicalising him must also be identified and acted against,” he added.
Calling it a serious issue, Bansal said the government must take strict action.
“The conspirators and sympathisers behind such acts should also be arrested. Such incidents pose a threat to national unity and cannot be taken lightly,” he told IANS.
Meanwhile, according to the FIR registered at Naigaon Police Station, Sub-Inspector Pankaj Kilje, while patrolling the area in a private vehicle around 1.30 p.m., heard the anti-national song blaring from Ruhann Hair Cutting Salon in Karamdpada, located opposite the Durga Mata Mandir.
The song, streamed via Bluetooth from a mobile phone to the salon’s loudspeaker and audible on the street, was considered a serious threat to India’s sovereignty, unity, and public peace, with the potential to incite enmity and communal tension.
Upon entering the salon, SI Kilje found two individuals: Guljari Raju Sharma (51), a local resident and salon worker, and Abdul Rahman Sadruddin Shah (25), originally from Gauri Sirajpur village in Lalganj, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Investigations revealed that Shah was streaming the song from the YouTube app on his phone.
Locals, angered by the incident, detained Shah and handed him over to the police. The content of the song was subsequently verified on his device by authorities.
The incident caused considerable tension among residents in the busy Chinchoti neighbourhood, given its proximity to the Durga Mata Mandir.
Following the verification, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Shah under BNS Section 197(1)(d) for acts prejudicial to national integration. Shah was arrested immediately, while no charges were reported against Sharma, the salon worker.
Police have stated that investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities emphasised that acts threatening national unity or inciting public unrest would not be tolerated.
This case highlights growing concerns over the circulation of provocative content in public spaces and the need for vigilance to maintain communal harmony, particularly in sensitive neighbourhoods.
(IANS)
