MUMBAI: Pressure mounts over the incumbent BJP-led government in Maharashtra to arrest the pro-Hindutva activist Sambhaji alias Manohar Bhide for his controversial remarks against Mahatma Gandhi.
Condemning Bhide's remarks Maharashtra Deputy CM and home minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Mahatma Gandhi is viewed as the leader of the history of India's freedom struggle. Such a statement against him is inappropriate, people will not tolerate it. The state government will take appropriate action in this case. Insulting Mahatma Gandhi will not be tolerated under any circumstances."
Ajit Pawar who is part of the incumbent government also demanded the arrest of Sambhaji Bhide.
The Amaravati police have already registered the police complaint against Sambhaji Bhide under IPC section 153 A — promoting enmity between two groups. This is a cognisable offence with three years imprisonment and a penalty.
Sambhaji Bhide alias Manohar Kulkarni hails from Sangali and worked for RSS in the 1980s. He is said to have formed his own trust known as 'Shiv Pratisthan.'
Bhide in his speech had said that Mahatma Gandhi’s father was a Muslim landlord and he is Muslim. He even claimed that people unnecessarily give importance to Pandit Nehru in the freedom struggle. Bhide said there is no iota of contributions by Pandit Nehru to the freedom struggle.
Earlier former Maharashtra Congress chief minister Prithviraj Chavan brought up Bhide's remarks against Mahatma Gandhi on the floor of the House in the Maharashtra state assembly monsoon session and demanded the arrest of Mr Bhide.
Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and Congress MLA Yashomati Thakur had asked "for whose permission the BJP-led government is waiting" when there are demands for Bhide to be arrested.
She said that the way Mr Bhide spews venom shows that he comes from the legacy of Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni, the advocate of Afzal Khan who attacked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj when they met at Pratap Fort.
Anil Bhonde, a BJP Rajya Sabha member, said that they will not tolerate the insult towards Bhide.
“We are against the usage of derogatory words towards Mr Bhide. People are trying to abuse him because he is a Hindutvawadi activist,” said Bhonde.