Amravati district police in Maharashtra on Saturday registered a case against radical Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide for allegedly making offensive comments on Mahatma Gandhi, an officer said. The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged a day after the Maharashtra unit of the Congress party demanded his arrest in the Assembly.
The Rajapeth police has registered the case against Mr. Bhide under Indian Penal Code Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), the officer said.
Mr. Bhide had made these comments while addressing a gathering at Bharat Mangal Hall in the Badnera Road area of Amravati during his ongoing tour of Vidarbha.
