NEW DELHI, Dec 30: A Hindu seer Kalicharan Maharaj who was arrested by the Chhattisgarh police in the early hours of Thursday for making derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi at a “Dharma Sansad” in Raipur, would also be slapped with sedition charges, senior police officials said.
Kalicharan Maharaj was arrested from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, four days after an FIR was registered against him for allegedly abusing Mahatma Gandhi. He is being brought to Chhattisgarh, where he would be taken to a court, said the police.
According to senior police officials, three separate police teams were sent to Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to arrest him. “We found him 25 km from Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. He had taken a rented room near Bageshwar Dham. He was arrested at 4 am and is being brought to Raipur, where he is expected to reach by evening,” Raipur superintendent of police Prashant Agrawal said.
Kalicharan, who was a guest at the ‘Dharam Sansad’ organised in the state capital Raipur on December 25-26, allegedly abused Mahatma Gandhi and hailed Nathuram Godse for killing him. An FIR was registered against him under IPC Sections 505(2) and 294 on Sunday night based on a complaint by Congress leader Pramod Dubey.
A case was registered against Kalicharan in Akola district in Maharashtra also for his speech in Raipur while the Pune city police had booked him on Tuesday for allegedly giving hate speech during the ‘Shivpratap Din’ programme held in Pune on December 19.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra has objected to the manner of Kalicharan’s arrest. Mishra said that the Chhattisgarh Police violated norms by not informing the Madhya Pradesh Police about the action against Kalicharan. In a tweet, he instructed the Madhya Pradesh director general of police to speak with his Chhattisgarh counterpart and register his protest.
In response to Mishra, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel Thursday said, “Narottam Mishra should tell whether he is happy or sad about the arrest of the person who derogated Mahatma Gandhi? No rules have been violated and arrest made by Chhattisgarh police as per procedures.”
On Sunday, speaking at the Dharam Sansad held at Ravan Bhata ground in Raipur, Kalicharan Maharaj alleged that “the target of Islam is to capture the nation through politics.” He also said, “I salute Nathuram Godse that he killed Gandhi.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
