A court in Ajmer on Wednesday (November 27) admitted a petition by Vishnu Gupta, the national president of the Hindu Sena, asking for a survey of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the shrine of the revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, in view of purported evidence for the existence of an ancient temple to Lord Shiva at the site.
Gupta has in the past filed a suit on behalf of Bal Krishna in the Mathura dispute. He also had a ‘havan’ for Donald Trump’s success in the United States presidential election of 2016.
Who is Vishnu Gupta and what is the Hindu Sena?
Gupta, 40, was born in Etah in UP and moved to Delhi at a young age. He was influenced early on by militant Hindu nationalism, and joined the Shiv Sena’s youth wing as a student. In 2008, Gupta became part of the Bajrang Dal.
In 2011, Gupta and some others founded the Hindu Sena, an organisation that he claims has “lakhs of members” now, with units in “almost all parts of India”. Gupta or his organisation are not affiliated with the Shiv Sena, the Sangh Parivar, or any of its associated organisations.
On its website, the Hindu Sena says it “aims to oppose the Islamisation in any form, Sharia law implementation, love jihad and Islamic extremism in India”, and that it would “highlight and protest and take legal action against any person/entity causing harm to the sovereignty of India and Sanatana Dharma”.
What actions has the Hindu Sena led so far?
*In August 2013, Gupta, along with another protester, slapped and assaulted 70-year-old terror accused Abdul Karim alias Tunda inside Delhi’s Patiala House court premises.
*In January 2014, Hindu Sena was part of a mob that vandalised the Aam Aadmi Party office in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad following then AAP leader Prashant Bhushan’s suggestion that a referendum should be held on the deployment of the Army in Jammu and Kashmir.
*In February 2014, Hindu Sena protested outside the office of The Caravan magazine following its report on Swami Aseemanand, who was then in jail in connection with the Ajmer Dargah, Mecca Masjid, and Samjhauta Express bombings of 2007. Aseemanand was subsequently acquitted in all these cases.
*In October 2015, Gupta was detained by Delhi Police for allegedly making a false complaint that beef was being served at the Kerala House canteen in New Delhi. A row had erupted with the then Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condemning the police raid as “highly objectionable”.
*In January 2016, Gupta was arrested after members of his outfit vandalised the office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in New Delhi. In August 2016, the outfit had protested then Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Pakistan.
*In May 2016, Gupta and the Hindu Sena organised a havan to ensure the victory of Trump in that year’s presidential election. Gupta then organised events to celebrate Trump’s birthday, and then his victory that November. He also organised protests against the Democratic nominee for the White House, Hillary Clinton.
*In May 2019, Hindu Sena filed a complaint against actor-politician Kamal Haasan at Delhi’s Patiala House court for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by terming Nathuram Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi, as a “Hindu terrorist”.
*In September 2021, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s official residence in New Delhi’s high-security Ashoka Road area was vandalised by a group of Hindu Sena men, who damaged the door and windows, broke the nameplate, and hurled an axe at the house.
*In December 2021, Jammu and Kashmir’s Member of Legislative Assembly Engineer Rashid was attacked by Gupta and others and ink and mobil oil were thrown on him at the Press Club of India in Delhi.
*In June 2023, the Hindu Sena filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court against the film ‘Adipurush’, demanding that it not be certified for public exhibition.
*In January this year, the Hindu Sena defaced signboards on Delhi’s Babar Road by pasting stickers saying “Ayodhya Marg” over them.
*In February, Gupta claimed that he had received a letter threatening him with dire consequences if he did not withdraw from the Krishna Janmabhoomi case.
*Over the years, Gupta’s outfit has supported the “Balochistan freedom struggle” in Pakistan, and has more recently protested in support of Hindus in Bangladesh.
What are the police cases against Vishnu Gupta and Hindu Sena?
Over the years, Gupta and his outfit’s actions have also led to multiple police complaints and FIRs, many linked to the aforementioned incidents.
*In October 2011, an FIR was lodged against Gupta and Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, now a BJP leader, for allegedly assaulting Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan at his chamber in the court. The FIR was lodged for trespass, criminal assault and criminal conspiracy and Gupta was subsequently arrested by Delhi Police as he was absconding after the offence.
*In October 2015, Gupta was arrested under IPC section 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person) by the Delhi Police for giving false information about beef being served at Kerala House.
*In January 2016, an FIR for rioting, assault, damaging property, criminal conspiracy etc. was filed against Gupta for harassing PIA staff and damaging its properties at its Barakhambha Road office.
*In February 2016, the south east district of Delhi police issued notice for Gupta to be externed from the national capital for two years as over nine FIRs had been lodged against him since 2011.
*In June 2017, an FIR was lodged against Gupta and Hindu Sena members, leading to their arrest, for house trespass and intentional insult after they barged into the Communist Party (Marxist) headquarters in Delhi and manhandled party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.
*In November 2020, a case was lodged against Gupta following a complaint from New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) for defacing the signboard of ‘India Islamic Cultural Centre’ and pasting poster declaring as ‘Jihadi Terrorist Islamic Centre’
*In September 2021, five members of Hindu Sena were arrested for vandalising the residence of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
*In April 2022, an FIR was registered against Hindu Sena members for putting up posters outside All India Congress Committee (AICC) Party Headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, Delhi.
*In April 2022, Hindu Sena member Pawan Kumar confessed that it was on Gupta’s instruction that he pasted a poster of Hindu Sena with its logo outside the United States Embassy, accusing US President Joe Biden’s administration of “Bullying India.” An FIR was registered under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act, 2007, against the accused.
*In June 2022, Hindu Sena organised an event at Vishwagiri temple in Delhi’s Rajouri Garden and organised ‘sword distribution’ in support of Nupur Sharmafollowing her suspension by the BJP for hate speech and objectionable comment on Prophet Mohamamd. A complaint was filed before the National Commission for Minorities.
*In August 2023, the Delhi Police stopped a ‘Mahapanchyat’ organised by the Hindu Sena members, including Vishnu Gupta, at Jantar Mantar for alleged inflammatory speeches with references to communal violence in Haryana’s Nuh, and over provocative statements against Islam and call of genocide of Muslims by Yati Narsighanand.
What are some Hindu Sena petitions which have been rejected by the courts?
*A Bench led by then Supreme Court Judge Justice D Y Chandrachud rejected an intervention application filed by Gupta in May 2022. It sought to dismiss the petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Management Committee, challenging the videographic survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi.
*In February 2023, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and M M Sundresh dismissed a petition by Hindu Sena seeking a ban on the BBC for its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots, calling it “completely misconceived.”
*In April 2024, the Delhi High Court rejected a petition filed by Hindu Sena seeking the removal of Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Chief Minister, following his arrest in the Delhi excise policy case.
