‘Hate speech’: Qawwali singer Sharif Parvaz arrested in Kanpur, brought to Madhya Pradesh

Rewa (MP), April 4

The Madhya Pradesh police arrested qawwali singer Sharif Parvaz, booked for making “provocative” remarks, from Kanpur and brought him to Rewa district on Monday, a police officer said.

A case was registered against the qawwali singer after he allegedly made provocative remarks against the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a musical event at Mangawa town in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh on March 28.

The MP police arrested Parvaz from Kanpur Dehat on Sunday and brought him to Rewa, where the case against him is registered, the officer said.

“We are going to produce him in a local court,” Rewa City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Manoj Verma told PTI.

He said police teams were sent to Meerut, Lucknow and Kanpur to arrest the Uttar Pradesh-based qawwali singer.

In a video of the show, Parvaz is purportedly heard saying, “Modi ji kahte hai hum hai, Yogi ji kahte hai hum hai, Amit Shah kahte hai hum hai, lekin hai kaun? Agar gareeb nawaz chah le to Hindustan pata hi nahi chalega kaha par basa tha, kaha par tha. (Modi, Yogi and Shah say they are there. But who are they? If gareeb nawaz (patron of the poor) wishes, it won’t be known where India existed).” The police had registered the case against him following a complaint by some residents of Mangawa.

He has been charged under sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 298 (deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code, police had said earlier.