Journo Accused Of Insulting Shivaji Maharaj ‘Hiding In Dubai’? Fadnavis Responds To Claim Of 'Shielding' Him

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis denies shielding journalist Prashant Koratkar, accused of making offensive remarks against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj.

File Photo of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Source : PTI

Nagpur, Mar 22 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday refuted allegations that police is shielding Nagpur-based journalist Prashant Koratkar, who is accused of making offensive remarks against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji during a phone call with a historian.

Asked about reports of Koratkar being in Dubai, Fadnavis told reporters that news on the issue was being put out without verification.

"Police are looking for him and action will be taken against him wherever he is, whether it is Dubai or anywhere else," the CM asserted.

Speculation of Korakar having fled to the Middle East to escape arrest was doing the rounds after some photographs of him abroad surfaced online.

Koratkar was booked on February 26 for allegedly threatening Kolhapur-based historian Indrajeet Sawant and making derogatory comments against Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his warrior-son Sambhaji Maharaj.

The Kolhapur police had registered a case against the Nagpur resident under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for promoting hatred or enmity between groups and other offences.

On March 18, the court of Additional sessions judge D V Kashyap in Kolhapur had rejected his anticipatory bail plea. 

Maratha outfits protest in Jalna against Koratkar and Solapurkar

A protest was held on Friday in Jalna seeking the arrest of Nagpur-based journalist Prashant Koratkar and actor Rahul Solapurkar for their alleged objectionable remarks against Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The protest was organised by the Maratha Kranti Morcha and Shiv Premi Sanghatana at the district collectorate.

Koratkar was booked on February 26 for allegedly making provocative and objectionable statements during a call to Kolhapur-based historian Indrajit Sawant.

Solapurkar had made an objectionable statement about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's escape from a Mughal prison in Agra.

Sanjay Lakhe Patil, coordinator of Maratha Kranti Morcha, sought strict action against the two.

He also accused the BJP-led government in Maharashtra of raising the issue of Aurangzeb's grave just to divert attention of the public.

"The Maratha Kranti Morcha and Shiv Premi Sanghatana oppose the removal of the grave as it is a symbol of Maratha bravery. The real issues are the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, farm woes etc. Instead of providing the relief, the state government is trying to rewrite history in this manner," Lakhe Patil claimed.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)