Day after the police in Maharashtra’s Amravati district filed a case against right-wing activist Sambhaji Bhide for making certain objectionable remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that such statements against the Father of the Nation are inappropriate and will not be tolerated. Condemning Sambhaji Bhide’s statements against Mahatma Gandhi, Devendra Fadnavis said, “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." I am making it clear that Sambhaji Bhide or anyone else cannot make such statements as it creates anger among people, who will never tolerate such an insult of Gandhiji. Police will take appropriate action in the case," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. Fadnavis also said Bhide runs an independent organisation (Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan) and has no link to BJP, adding that opposition parties must not give the issue a political colour.
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.