Muslim cleric booked for remarks on Kanwariyas in UP

A very important religious leader named Maulana Sajid Rashidi is in trouble with the police.

He talked about Kanwariyas, who are Hindu pilgrims that walk long distances to collect holy water from the Ganga river for their temples.

He asked whether people who drink alcohol, fight with police, or damage a school van can truly be called devotees of Lord Shiva.

Some Hindu people felt his words insulted their religion and hurt their feelings.

A man named Narendra Panwar complained to the police about the remarks.

Police in Muzaffarnagar registered a case against the leader on Saturday.

The law they used is about acts that deliberately hurt people's religious feelings.

Other Hindu activists also held a protest on Friday, asking for action against him.

A state leader named Kapil Dev Agarwal said the remarks are bad for peace between communities and even suggested the leader be sent to a mental hospital in Agra.

Rashidi, who lives in Delhi, is the president of the All India Imam Association and has said he was not talking about all Kanwariyas.