Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad said on Monday that they won’t allow the legislature to function if right-wing activist Sambhaji Bhide is not arrested by Wednesday.
The Monsoon session of the state legislature is scheduled to conclude on Friday, August 4. Awhad, who is with the Sharad Pawar group of the NCP, claimed Bhide insulted icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Jyotiba Phule. NCP legislator, who represents the Mumbra-Kalwa constituency, said they won’t allow the House to function if Bhide is not arrested by Wednesday.
He also filed a complaint against Bhide at the Naupada police station here following which a case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections, including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds) and 500 (defamation). Awhad said Bhide’s remarks are a ploy to divert attention from serious issues like the violence in Manipur.
On Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the police would take appropriate action against the right-wing activist for his alleged objectionable remarks against Gandhiji, asserting that the insult of the Mahatma will not be tolerated. Bhide was booked by Rajapeth police in Amravati on July 29 for allegedly commenting on the lineage of Gandhiji while addressing an event there last Thursday.,