Telangana police on Saturday, 31 December arrested Bairi Naresh, a Atheist leader who had made remarks against Lord Ayyappa
The police arrested the accused in Warangal at Kamalapuram Mandal in this district for using derogatory words against Lord Ayyappa Swamy. (Supplied)
As the Telangana police arrested atheist leader Bairi Naresh on Saturday, 31 December, for his remarks on Lord Ayyappa, his organisation, the Bharata Nasthika Sangham, or Atheist Society of India, insisted that while there was nothing wrong in what he said, the manner in which he did so was distasteful.
“The matter about Lord Ayyappa is right, but the way he expressed it, that is wrong. In the 1980s, I wrote a book about Lord Ayyappa. At that time, no one questioned what I wrote. It was based on that book that Naresh made his comments,” Sambasiva Rao, a former president of the Atheist Society of India in united Andhra Pradesh, told South First.
“My approach is to educate people, not irritate them. The aim should be educate people. But Naresh here has irritated people,” Rao added.
“What Bairi Naresh said has been said by many intellectuals and others; here, the presentation and narration were not right,” S Ajay, a friend of Naresh and also a member of the Atheist Society of India, told South First.
“In this instance, I stand with his message, but not his style of dialogue delivery,” added Ajay.
Telangana police on Saturday arrested Naresh for his 19 December remarks against Lord Ayyappa Swamy, which hurt the sentiments of devotees. A video of the event went viral a week later.
The police, who arrested Naresh from Kamalapuram Mandal in Warangal district, brought him to Vikarabad district where he was produced before the court and has been remanded in custody for 14 days.
He was arrested along with Renjarla Rajesh, another member of the atheist society.
“Bairi Naresh has been taken into custody for his alleged derogatory remarks against Lord Ayyappa Swamy at an event and after producing him in the court, he has been sent for 14 days remand,” said Koti Reddy, Superintendent of Police, Vikarabad, in a statement.
Bairi Naresh, who holds a doctorate degree, is an activist who engages with people on issues related to religion.
“When he was in fifth class, he came into the atheist movement. He has a post-graduate degree from Osmania University, and a doctorate in social work. He has not taken up a job and is involved in the cause,” said Rao.
His wife is a government teacher and he has two children. “His is an inter-caste marriage, defying the society and religion,” said Rao.
“I have known him for the past 20 years. He is a hardworking person who believes in science. He is a family person who works for people, brings people out of their religious mindset, and moves them towards science. He visits places and solve people’s problems and was getting threats,” added Ajay.
“During the 19 December meeting, like always, he just was encouraging and motivating people. But his expression was wrong and someone recorded it and published it on social media,” said Rao.
Activists see a pattern in the manner Bairi Naresh was promptly arrested.
“(Director) Ram Gopal Verma can make any comment. He gets away with it because of his class privilege and caste privilege,” lawyer and activist B Karthik Navayan told South First.
“But in the case of Bairi Naresh, he is a local activist and doesn’t hold any privilege, He can be beaten up anywhere and anyone can file complaints against him anywhere. Naresh belongs to the Padmashali community while Renjarla Rajesh is a Malla (Scheduled Caste). That’s the reason. It’s all about politics and it’s about votes; so every political party will try to get mileage out of it,” said Karthik.
He added that Kathi Mahesh — actor, journalist, film critic who died last year in an accident — was was also a Dalit and an atheist who spoke against religion, and many cases were filed against him as well.
Telangana police registered a case against Bairi Naresh on Friday for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees after a video purportedly showing him making “derogatory” comments on the Lord went viral in the state.
Bairi Naresh, who is also president of the Bharata Nasthika Sangham, was accused of making the remarks while addressing a meeting in Vikarabad district on 19 December police said.
The complainant had said while he was browsing social media when he saw the video of Naresh allegedly making the “derogatory” comments and lodged a complaint.
The comments were made deliberately with an ulterior motive to ridicule and hurt the religious feelings of Hindus and purposefully to hurt the devotees who take Ayyappa Deeksha, the complainant said, adding that his religious feelings were deeply hurt.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Kodangal police station under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), and other relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Complaints were filed in as many as 19 places in Telangana. Reports also said that a case against Naresh was also filed in Maharashtra.
State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday alleged that Naresh has insulted the sentiments of crores of Hindus and sought his immediate arrest.
“Anybody can abuse Hindu Gods in #Telangana & get exonerated bcos @TelanganaCMO encourages blasphemy without taking any action! KCR claims to be “True Hindu” & his “Hinduvta is real” BUT so far what action is taken on insults against Gods Vishnu, Shiva & Ayyappa done in Kodangal ?,” tweeted Sanjay.
BRS govt gives security to Munawar Faruqui who insults goddess Seethamma & permission to others to hold meetings & make derogatory remarks on Lord Ayyappa Swamy’s birth.@BJP4Telangana demands strong action against offender for hurting sentiments of Hindus.
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@bandisanjay_bjp) December 30, 2022
BRS leaders too distanced themselves from the controversy. Minister for Animal Husbandry T Srinivas Yadav, in a statement, said that Bairi Naresh’s comments on Ayyappa Swamy were hurtful and the government would take strict action for the communal hatred which he provoked.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Feroze Khan also filed a complaint against him.
“Today filed a complaint at @shonampally against Bairi Naresh for making highly derogatory remarks against Lord #Ayyappaswamy at Ambedkarite meeting held on Thursday (29 December). Such derogatory remarks against God or any religion will not be tolerated,” tweeted Mohammed Feroz Khan.
Today filed a complaint at @shonampally against Bairi Naresh for making highly derogatory remarks against Lord #Ayyappaswamy at Ambedkarite meeting held on Thursday (29 December). Such derogatory remarks against God or any religion will not be tolerated. pic.twitter.com/KIdfc018Ev
— Mohammed Feroz Khan (@ferozkhaninc) December 31, 2022
Many political parties in the state have tried to attach Naresh to each others’ organisations.
“We are non-political organisation. We don’t have anything to do with any political party,” said Ajay.
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