Navi Mumbai: FIR against Bhide for comments against Gautam Buddha

07 August,2023 04:11 PM IST |  Mumbai  |  mid-day online correspondent

The Navi Mumbai police have registered an FIR against Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide following a complaint for his alleged derogatory comments against Gautam Buddha and social reformers

Sambhaji Bhide. File photo


The Navi Mumbai police have registered an FIR against Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide following a complaint for his alleged derogatory comments against Gautam Buddha and social reformers.

In July, an FIR was registered in Amravati against Sambhaji Bhide, for allegedly making offensive remarks about Mahatma Gandhi's lineage during his speech, police said.

Amid opposition parties' demand for action against Bhide, the founder of the Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan outfit, for his derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last week said insult of national icons will not be tolerated.

Advocate Amit Katarnavre gave a complaint at the New Panvel police station, alleging Bhide made derogatory comments against Gautam Buddha, Jyotiba Phule and Periyar Naicker, which hurt the sentiments of those who revered them.

The complaint by Katarnavre cited some online videos in which Bhide was seen purportedly making derogatory comments against the social reformers.

On Sunday, the police registered an FIR against Bhide under Indian Penal Code Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

"The FIR also included relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," the police said.

On August 1, an FIR was registered against Bhide in Maharashtra's Nashik city for his alleged derogatory remarks against Saibaba of Shirdi and Phule.

(with inputs from PTI)

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