New Delhi: Religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj has been charged with sedition after he was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Police said.
“Kalicharan Maharaj has been arrested and charged with sedition. During the investigation, on the basis of evidence, Sections 153 A (1) (A), 153 B (1) (A), 295 A, 505 (1) (B) [of the Indian Penal Code] have also been included,” said Chhattisgarh Police.
“Kalicharan Maharaj was staying in a rented accommodation near Bageshwar Dham, 25km from Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. Raipur Police arrested him at 4am today. By late evening, the police team will reach Raipur with the accused,” said Raipur Superintendent of Police, Prashant Agrawal.
The police arrested Kalicharan for allegedly making a derogatory speech against Gandhi and praising his assassin.
Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu extremist during a prayer meeting in the Indian capital in 1948.
Kalicharan Maharaj was arrested in central Madhya Pradesh state on Thursday for allegedly promoting hatred between religious groups in a speech earlier this week, the Press Trust of India news agency cited police officer Prashant Agrawal as saying.
According to media reports, Maharaj said: “Gandhi destroyed the country ... salutations to Nathuram Godse, who killed him.’’
If convicted, he can be jailed up to five years.
The Madhya Pradesh government, meanwhile, alleged that Chhattisgarh’s Congress government has violated the interstate protocols by arresting Kalicharan Maharaj without informing Madhya Pradesh police.
“Chhattisgarh’s Congress government has violated the interstate protocols by arresting Kalicharan Maharaj without informing Madhya Pradesh police. Madhya Pradesh DGP instructed to speak to Chhattisgarh DGP to register objection on the procedure of arrest and seek clarification,” said Madhya Pradesh government.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Police took into custody the owner of the home-stay in Chhatarpur district where Kalicharan Maharaj was lodged.
The opposition is also demanding the arrest of several saffron-robed Hindu religious leaders for making highly provocative speeches against Muslims at a closed-door religious parliament, known as Dharam Sansad, earlier this month in the northern holy city of Haridwar. They called on Hindus to arm themselves for “a genocide” against Muslims, according to a police complaint.
Police in Uttarakhand state said they were questioning suspects. No arrests have been made.
Muslims comprise nearly 14% of India’s 1.4 billion people.
