Vijayawada: The Crime Investigation Department of Andhra Pradesh police has arrested a Christian preacher for alleged making inflammatory speeches insulting another religion.
Additional Director General of Police (CID) PV Sunil Kumar said Praveen Chakravarthi from Kakinada town in East Godavari district has allegedly made provocative comments that could potentially disturb harmony,
Praveen was arrested and produced before the court on January 13.
The CID registered a case against Praveen on a complaint filed by Venkata Lakshminarayana from Guntur. The police said they verified the complainant by watching videos the preacher had previously uploaded on YouTube.
Police officer Kumar said, “In the videos, he made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements that are hurtful and insulting to another religion. His statements could give rise to a tense atmosphere and conflict among different groups. While there’s nothing wrong with preaching one’s own religion, no one can insult other religions.”
In a couple of online videos Praveen is heard speaking about setting up ‘Christ villages’ with those who have “accepted Christ.” He also speaks of damaging “trees and stones” worshiped by local people.
Kumar said that Praveen has been booked under Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 124A (Sedition) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code). He was also booked under Section 115 (Abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life) of the IPC read with Section 66 of The IT Act, 2000 (Computer related offences).
The arrest came amid repeated allegations of rising attacks on Hindu places of worship. Police have said that the cases have not dramatically risen under the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, as alleged by opposition parties TDP and BJP. The data of temple offences shows that in 2016 (under TDP government), 207 temple offences were recorded. In 2019 and 2020, when the Jagan government was in power, 177 and 143 offences were recorded respectively, police said.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang recently told the media that in the past four months, 337 people have been arrested and 180 cases filed against people suspected in cases of temple vandalism. However, a few mysterious, unsolved incidents, like the Antarvedi temple chariot fire in September, and the vandalism of the Lord Rama idol in Ramatheertham in December, have triggered campaigns by opposition parties against attacks on temples.
Source: thenewsminute.com