Hundreds of supporters of the Mufti gathered outside the police station demanding his immediate release.
Islamic Preacher Detained: Islamic preacher Mufti Salman Azhari was detained by the Gujarat Police in Mumbai on Sunday. The team is probing a hate speech case against the Mufti, said an official adding that Mufti Salman is currently at the Ghatkopar police station.
Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters of the Mufti gathered outside the police station demanding his immediate release, bringing traffic to a standstill in the area, the official said, adding that police have strengthened security.
A video of an inflammatory speech allegedly delivered by Mufti Salman Azhari went viral on social media following which the Junagadh Police arrested two persons, said a police officer.
“We have arrested Malek and Habib while efforts are on to nab Azhari. The arrested men had taken permission from the police for the gathering, stating that Azhari would speak about religion and spread awareness about de-addiction. But he delivered an inflammatory speech,” the official added.
The said speech was delivered at an event held at an open ground near the ‘B’ division police station in Junagadh on the night of January 31, he said.
After the video went viral, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Azhari and local organizers Mohammad Yousuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief).