Distancing BJP from Sambhaji Bhide, booked for his derogatory remark against Mahatma Gandhi, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has condemned the statement and said the state government will take appropriate action in the case, adding that insulting Mahatma Gandhi will not be tolerated under any circumstances.




"I condemn the statement of Sambhaji Bhide. Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the nation. He 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. State Government will take appropriate action in this case. Insulting Mahatma Gandhi will not be tolerated under any circumstances," Fadnavis said.

 

"Sambhaji Bhide has no connection with BJP, he has his own organisation. No need to give it political colours deliberately. The manner in which the people of Congress are taking to the streets over this, they should similarly do so when Rahul Gandhi speaks against Veer Savarkar. But they stay quiet at that time," he added.


The police in Maharashtra’s Amravati district on Saturday registered a case against Sambhaji Bhide for his alleged derogatory remarks on Mahatma Gandhi, with state Congress chief Nana Patole insisting the right-wing activist must be arrested.


Patole said his party would agitate across the state after the end of the Monsoon session of the Assembly on August 4 if Bhide is not put behind bars.


Bhide, the founder of the Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan outfit, is accused of making offensive remarks about the Father of the Nation in his speech during a programme at Bharat Mangal Hall in the Badnera Road area in Amravati district on Thursday.


The Rajapeth police in Amravati booked Bhide under Indian Penal Code section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), an official said.


"If the state government does not arrest Bhide, the Congress will organise protests across Maharashtra after the Monsoon session of the Assembly ends on August 4," Patole said.