Uttar Pradesh Police Tuesday arrested a 38-year-old cleric from Bihar for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s mother during a public meeting in Bihar in 2024.

Police said the matter came to light after a video of the accused’s remarks recently surfaced on social media.

Two separate cases, in Balrampur and Bahraich, have been registered against the accused, Mohammad Salim Qasmi, a resident of Bihar’s Araria district, said Amit Pathak, Inspector General of Police, Devipatan Range. The accused is a cleric at a local mosque in the district.

Police said the case was lodged on charges of promoting enmity between two groups, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs, and statements conducing to public mischief.

Police said they arrested Salim during questioning in connection with the Bahraich case registered at Kotwali police station.

“We arrested him on charges related to breach of peace and produced him before the court, which remanded him to judicial custody,” said Pradeep Kumar Singh, Station House Officer of Kotwali police station, adding that the case had been registered against Salim on March 8.

Police said protests were held in different parts of the state after the accused’s objectionable remarks came to light.

In another video doing the rounds on social media, the accused is purportedly heard admitting to his mistake and apologising.

He said on May 5, 2024, while attending a social reform and educational awareness conference in Miran Chak, Bhagalpur district, he delivered a speech where he made certain inappropriate and objectionable remarks about the UP CM’s mother, which he regrets.

He then seeks forgiveness and said he has especially apologised to the CM, assuring that he will not repeat such an error in the future.