A cleric at a revered Muslim shrine in India's Rajasthan state was arrested on Wednesday for offering to give away his property and savings to anyone who would kill suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her recent remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.
Police identified the cleric as Syed Salman Chishti, who is in his 30s.
"We arrested Salman Chishti, Khadim of Ajmer Dargah (the famous shrine) last night for allegedly giving a provocative statement against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma," Vikas Sangwan, additional superintendent of police (ASP) in the Ajmer district, told news agency ANI.
According to police, Chishti is a certified khadim of the Ajmer dargah and also a voter in the Anjuman.
Dalbeer Singh, a police official at Dargah Police Station in Ajmer, said: "Around three weeks ago, two to three days after Sharma’s statement, he (Chishti) had recorded a video wherein he had stated that had he been capable, he would have shot Sharma."
"He said that since Sharma had insulted the Prophet, Chishti would give his house and land to anyone who brings him Sharma’s head," the official added.
The video clip surfaced amidst the killings of two Hindus, namely pharmacist Umesh Kolhe and tailor Kanhaiya Lal, in the states of Maharashtra and Rajasthan respectively for supporting Nupur Sharma's controversial remarks about the Islamic prophet.
Sharma has already apologized for having made the remarks during a TV debate and for hurting people's sentiments. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also disowned the controversial remarks she made as its spokesperson, and suspended her from the party.