Balrampur (UP), March 9 A cleric from Bihar has been booked for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's mother, police said on Monday.
An FIR was registered against Maulana Abdul Salim on March 7 at the Nagar Kotwali police station in Balrampur based on a complaint filed by district BJP president Ravi Mishra, Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar said.
Salim has been booked under sections 352 (defamation) and 353-2 (causing public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he added.
According to the complaint, Salim allegedly made the objectionable remarks during a religious gathering. The complainant also claimed that the cleric attempted to incite members of the minority community against laws related to cow slaughter.
Mishra claimed the remarks angered BJP workers and members of the Hindu community, and threatened to disturb social harmony.
The police officer said a case was registered based on the complaint, and an investigation into the matter is underway.
"Further legal action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during the investigation," Kumar said.
The comments by the cleric triggered protests in several parts of the state, including Balrampur and Lucknow, where BJP workers took to the streets demanding strict action against him.
In Lucknow, an application has also been given to the police for registration of an FIR in the matter.
BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan, said the remarks were "condemnable and unacceptable" and had exposed the cleric's mindset.
"In Indian culture, a mother is regarded as the highest symbol of respect and reverence. Those who insult motherhood actually expose their own values and mindset," he said on X.
"Society is watching what their religious thinking reflects about their attitude towards women. Such a mindset will never be accepted by this nation," he said.