UP, Bihar NIA arrest 3 for anti-Ayodhya posts after audio-video appeal for revenge goes viral

Patna: A combined team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Uttar Pradesh police and Bihar police on Saturday morning arrested three persons from East Champaran district for allegedly putting up anti-Ayodhya posts and calling for a meeting to protest against the construction of the Ram temple.

These posts and videos had gone viral on January 31 when two trucks carrying stones to be used for the idols of Ram and Sita were in Chakia town of the district. The trucks were going from Nepal to Ayodhya.

Audio-video appeal goes viral asking people to take revenge

Police also raided the house of Riyaz Maroof, secretary of the banned Popular Front of India. However, Maroof managed to escape.

As the trucks passed through the Muslim-dominated pockets of East Champaran, an audio-video appeal went viral asking people to take revenge for the December 6,1992, demolition at Ayodhya.

One intermediate student, Danish, was arrested from Kunwaa village, while Usman and another person were arrested from Imam Patti in Mehsi police station area. The three had allegedly posted provocative posts on Facebook. Usman had circulated an audio-video appeal asking supporters to hold meetings against the building of the Ram temple and to take steps to blow it up.

Police are investigating the case, said Kantesh Kumar Mishra, district SP of East Champaran. 

Last week, two huge stones from the Gandaki river near Pokhara in Nepal were collected and taken to Ayodhya through North Bihar on two trucks to be used to carve out idols of Ram and Sita.