The Kochi Cyber Police arrested an Islamic cleric named Waseem Al Hikami for insulting the Christian community and making derogatory remarks about Jesus Christon Wednesday. The case was filed against the accused based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Anoop Antony.

According to reports, in December 2021, he posted a video on YouTube in which he made derogatory remarks about Christians. Anoop Antony, a former Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national secretary, filed a complaint against Hikami, claiming that the cleric had offended the Christian community’s religious sentiments. The Muslim cleric is a resident of Kondotty in Kerala’s Malappuram district.

In his complaint, he also stated that Waseem Al Hikami had made inappropriate remarks about Jesus Christ’s birth. “Many people had complained about the derogatory and offensive remarks about Jesus Christ, but no legal action was taken.” Following that, I filed a complaint with the State Director-General of Police and also filed a petition with the Ernakulam Cyber Cell. “The response was not what I expected, so I went to the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate, and the honorable court directed that the matter be addressed, after which the State police registered an FIR,” BJP leader Antony was quoted as saying.

He added that he will follow up on the case and pursue it further until it is resolved. Under the direction of the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, the Police registered the case on June 28 under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different religious groups), 295A (outraging religious sentiments), and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Muslim cleric has a history of arrest in January 2022 under similar circumstances, according to a complaint filed by a man named Abel Francis. Antony stated that the Kerala Police had also arrested PC George quickly for similar reasons but did nothing in this case. He reiterated that he will pursue the case against the cleric Waseem Al Hikami, who offended Christians’ religious sentiments.

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