Two bike-borne assailants attacked 50-year-old YouTuber Saleem Wastik with knives in Ali Garden, Ghaziabad, on Friday morning, stabbing him in the stomach and slitting his throat. He is in critical condition at GTB Hospital in Delhi. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered strict action against those disrupting law and order.
In Ali Garden, under Loni police station in Ghaziabad, two unidentified bike-borne men attacked 50-year-old YouTuber Saleem Wastik at his office-cum-residence around 6 am on Friday. Police stated that Wastik is known for his controversial videos on religion. Loni Station House Officer Mukesh Singh Solanki said, 'He has his own interpretation of religion and believed certain teachings were incorrect. Some people felt he was against the community. Prima facie this appears to be the reason behind the attack.' No arrests have been made so far.
Based on a complaint by Wastik's son Usman, Loni police booked seven persons, including Asfaq, Sonu, local leader Shahrukh, and AIMIM leader Ajgar Ali, under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 109(1) (attempt to murder) and 3(5) (act done with common intention). Information about the attack reached the police around 8 am, and Wastik was first taken to a nearby hospital before being shifted to GTB Hospital in Delhi.
Neighbour Naznin (49) recounted, 'Around 7.30 am, I heard someone groaning. When I stepped outside, his glass door was open and I saw him lying on his back, struggling to move.' Locals Rubina and Anjali, who run a grocery shop, alerted the police. Wastik had moved into the house he constructed during last year's monsoon and lived alone, with his wife and son visiting regularly.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued a statement saying, 'Those who play with law and order will not be spared. There is no place for terror in Uttar Pradesh and the law will take its course.' Loni MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar termed the incident a 'terrorist-led attack' and questioned, 'If anyone had objections to his ideas, they could have got an FIR lodged, why attack him.'