India arrests Ajmer shrine worker for threatening Nupur Sharma

The Rajasthan police arrested Salman Chishti, who had allegedly offered to give away his house and property to anyone who beheads suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma, in Ajmer late on Tuesday night. He is also a khadim (worker) at the historic dargah of Sufi mystic Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, reported The Hindu on Thursday.

Salman Chishti had recorded his announcement in Udaipur, but the video was circulated later, when it was reported to the police. He was on the run since the police registered a case against him earlier this week.

He has a criminal background and is an accused in several cases of attempt to murder, firing, causing hurt and criminal intimidation, most of which were registered at the Ajmer dargah police station. The police, who arrested him from his residence near the shrine, said he might have made his video in an inebriated condition.

File photos of blasphemers Nupur Sharma and Jindal.

Ajmer dargah Dewan (custodian) Syed Zainul Abedin condemned the video and said the view expressed by Salman Chishti should not be considered a message from the shrine. “The dargah is a sacred place of communal harmony. People of all communities visit the shrine for spiritual contentment. These provocative remarks should only be treated as an individual’s statement,” Mr Abedin said.

Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) two party spokespersons, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, for their blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that sparked outrage in the Islamic world.