A Delhi-based journalist, Nishant Kumar Azad, associated with Organiser (Weekly), on September 10, received a death threat from a US-based mobile number, warning he would be beheaded if he continued to support Hindutva organisations.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged. According to the FIR, a missed WhatsApp video, audio call and message in Urdu and English were received from an unknown US-based number [+(701) 543-0549] at about 7:00 pm on September 10. The message reads: “Gustakh-e-nabi ki ek hi saza, sar tan se juda sar tan se juda” and ‘stop propagating agenda against Islam you will pay for it (sic).” When the complainant asked him about his identity, he replied that he knew everything about Nishant and that if he continued to write on such issues again, he would have to suffer the consequences.
According to the FIR, the caller made references to Kanhaiya Kumar (sic) and Umesh Kolhe and warned him of the same fate as of the two. “Gustakh e rasool ki ek hi saza. Sar tan se juda, sar tan se juda,” the caller said. Recently, a Ghaziabad-based doctor also received multiple threats with similar texts from Hindu organisations.
The incident should be seen in the context of recent beheadings in which several persons were killed for their support to Hindu organisations. Umesh Kolhe, a pharmacist from Maharashtra’s Amravati, was killed by four Islamists on June 22. Kolhe was killed because he stood with ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma when Islamists threatened her with death and rape for making innocuous remarks against Islam and Muhammad.
Another Hindu tailor named Kanhaiya Lal was also brutally killed by Jihadis because of his post supporting Nupur Sharma. Two Islamists, Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad, murdered the Hindu tailor in Udaipur on June 28, 2022. Akhtar and Ghouse fled the scene on a motorcycle after killing Lal. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently investigating this case.
The intimidator also shared the screenshot of his recent tweet (by Nishant) in which he criticised Congress for posting a photo of the ‘burning uniform’ of RSS amid their Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Nishant Kumar Azad works as a National News Coordinator in the Organiser, which is the oldest and widely circulated nationalist English weekly of Bharat. He predominantly writes on political and social issues. It is to be noted that Nishant has never hurt the religious sentiments of any religion, nor has he commented on Muhammad.
