Protests against journalists being targeted, discussions on press freedom, round-tables on state of the media – this is what you’d probably expect from events that take place at a press club.

Instead, the Dehradun Press Club last week played host to a group of seers who, among other things, called for violence against Muslims.

“If Hindus want to save the women in your family, they should keep a good weapon with themselves, and learn how to use them,” said Yati Ramswaroopanand Giri at the event, to which “Sanatani Hindus were cordially invited”. “...Every person reading and believing the Quran becomes a terrorist.”

Ramswaroopanand, who is from the Shiv Shakti Dham in Ghaziabad’s Dasna, had tweeted an invitation to the event on September 10. It got no retweets or likes or any interactions at all, even though he tagged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttarakhand department of information and public relations, and the “official Twitter account” of Uttarakhand news. 

But videos from the event made their way to social media. A day later, the Dalanwala police took suo motu cognisance of the video and booked Ramrwaroopanand and a seer named Mahant Giri under sections 196 (promoting enmity) and 353 (public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh issued a video statement saying the FIR was registered after the videos were spotted online.

“The Supreme Court has issued guidelines for the police to register an FIR after coming across any incident of hate speech, so we have taken action accordingly,” he said. “We appeal to everyone to be safe from such videos and not like or comment on such posts. It's against the Supreme Court’s order.”

But how did this happen on the press club premises? 

Ajay Rane, the president of the press club, told Newslaundry that the club’s hall is rented out for public events for a fee. The press club does not vet the subject matter of the event or take responsibility for whatever is said.

Are there guidelines in place for what can or cannot be said at these events?

Rane admitted that “guidelines exist” but refused to answer follow-up questions on the nature of the guidelines, whether these guidelines exist in writing, or if the guidelines are communicated to those organising events. 

A member of the press club, who did not want to be named, said that after the event and police action took place, a “notice” went up on the press club’s notice board on “dos and don’ts of speeches” during events on the premises. He did not explain precisely what the notice said. 

“The booking had been done a day before the event by the swami. We do not usually concern ourselves with the subject matter of the event that is to take place, whether it is a politician or a saint,” he said. He added that members of the press club management are usually not present during these outside events to monitor what is being said.

It should be noted that some press clubs, like the one in Delhi, have strict rules regarding events held on their premises. In Delhi, events are permitted after a formal application is submitted along with a recommendation from a press club member and the payment of a fee. Parties renting the space are also required to sign an undertaking regarding no hate speech. 

A known offender

This isn’t the first time that Ramswaroopanand has been in the news for his diatribes on “urgent” issues. In November, he led a delegation of seers to write letters in blood to the Uttarakhand CM demanding a “jihad-free Uttarakhand”.

His demands during the September 10 event were in the same vein. According to videos from the event, the seer claimed the “whole world” now knew what “Muslims did to women” in Bangladesh. He claimed they were “raped”, “cut into pieces” and “cooked” – and that Uttarakhand would soon become like Bangladesh too. He also announced the dates for an event called the Vishwa Dharma Sansad in December.

“We will discuss how to save our women from jihadis,” he pledged, “and how to make Uttarakhand Islam-mukt.”

From the video footage, Newslaundry learned that several journalists had been in attendance. Some asked questions – for instance, why was Ramswaroopanand not speaking about unemployment faced by Sanatani Hindus? Did he believe in the Constitution?

In response, the seer said he was an Indian and therefore believed in the Constitution, but it was his “duty” to save his people. He also lamented that Hindus were becoming “impotent” due to the rise in Muslim population – not that it needs to be said, but this isn’t true – and because Muslims had created several “countries” for themselves. 

Senior journalists associated with the Dehradun Press Club were outraged that the event took place. 

Nitin Sethi, a journalist from the state, said the press club may not be able to predict how an organisation or individual might misuse the forum. But in this case, “there was precedent and recent history” for those in charge of the club to review whether or not the club should be lent to such voices.

“It is appalling that such blatant communal hate speech was made from the Dehradun Press Club,” he said. “Every journalist in Uttarakhand is well aware that the speech was made as part of a concerted pattern that has been emerging in the state since last year. Against this backdrop, letting a known hate-monger misuse the public forum is the equivalent of enabling a crime.”

He pointed out that despite the police FIR, no action has been taken yet against the speakers at the event which “tells us what is the nature of this ‘suo motu’ action by the state police”. Ramswaroopanand continues to share videos from the event on social media. 

Rajeev Lochan Shah, editor-in-chief of Nanital Samachar, a local fortnightly, said, “Anyone can book a venue and hold a press conference, but in the case of such blatant hate speech, journalists should raise an issue there itself. They should have raised the issue there itself and escalated the matter.”

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