Bhojpuri singer Varun Bahar detained for 'inflammatory' video

Bhojpuri singer Varun Bahar, who was in the eye of the storm after a video of him singing an inflammatory song with the lyrics 'Jo na bole Jai Shri Ram, Unko bhej do kabristan' [Those who don't say Jai Shri Ram, send them to graveyard] went viral on YouTube, was detained from his home at Gondi in Uttar Pradesh, News18 reported. The song, across social media, was widely considered an encouragement to carry out attacks on minorities. 

Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla had filed a complaint against the singer. "Dear @DelhiPolice, I am requesting you to file a complaint under IPC 153(a) & 295(a) against the makers of this video. This video incites Mob Violence against the citizens of India. Failure to do so will be contempt of SC (Tehseen Poonawalla vs UoI )," he wrote on Twitter.

In an exclusive interview with Huffington Post, he said, “I have not mentioned any caste or religion. I’m in love with my religion, and this song is for my religion. Reporters of big media, the small media, who are after my life... threats are coming in from desh and videsh... I request my Hindu brothers, the Bajrang Dal, Hindu Yuva Vahini, this younger brother badly needs your help.”

Bahar has now reportedly asked Bajrang Dal and Hindu Yuva Vahini for help in dealing with the issue.

Filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mani Ratnam, Shyam Benegal actors Konkana Sen and Aparna Sen were among 49 eminent filmmakers and artists who had sent the open letter to Modi, raising concerns on the increasing intolerance against dissent in the country. The letter also raises concerns over lynchings of minorities. The letter quoted NCRB numbers of lynchings, and also numbers reported by The Citizen's Religious Hate-Crime Watch.

The letter also criticises the Narendra Modi and his government's inaction against the offenders. The letter had also stated that there is no democracy without dissent. “People should not be branded 'anti-national' or 'urban Naxal' and incarcerated because of dissent against the government.”