Former Maharashtra CM and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan received a death threat via- e- mail today. Chavan had demanded arrest of right-wing leader and founder of Shri Shiv Pratishthan, Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhide for his derogatory comments on Mahatma Gandhi and his mother. After Chavan raised the issue in legislative assembly on Friday, CM Eknath Shinde had promised to take action. A case has been registered at Karad city police station and security has been beefed up at his residence. Karad is Chavan's hometown.
While a case against Sambhaji Bhide has been registered, the state Congress has insisted that the right-wing activist must be arrested. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the party would organise protests across the state against Sambhaji Bhide. Bhide, the founder of 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 Badnera Road area in Amravati district on Thursday, July 27. The Rajapeth police in Amravati booked Sambhaji 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), an official said.