BJP promises action against Sambhaji Bhide for derogatory remarks against Gandhi

The BJP reportedly came under pressure after its ruling allies attacked Bhide and demanded action against him. Chhagan Bhujbal, who recently joined the Shinde government, said that Bhide had been shooting off his mouth because no action had been taken against him for his tirades in the past

Mumbai: In a stand that has raised eyebrows in political circles, the BJP for the first time has distanced itself from right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide after his shocking statement against Mahatma Gandhi in a speech in Amravati on Thursday. Bhide, among other things, claimed that Mahatma Gandhi’s father was a Muslim landlord.

BJP promises action against Sambhaji Bhide for derogatory remarks against Gandhi (HT)

After not reacting for three days, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday told the media that the state government would take appropriate action against Bhide. He hastened to add that the BJP had nothing to do with the Hindutva leader.

“I fully condemn the remarks by Sambhaji Bhide Guruji,” he said. “Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the nation, and is regarded as the mahanayak of India’s independence history. Nobody should speak like this, as it creates anger among the people. We will not tolerate insults to Mahatma Gandhi at any cost.”

The BJP reportedly came under pressure after its ruling allies attacked Bhide and demanded action against him. Chhagan Bhujbal, who recently joined the Shinde government, said that Bhide had been shooting off his mouth because no action had been taken against him for his tirades in the past. “He also insulted Pandit Nehru in his recent speech, saying he had made no contribution to the country’s development,” he said. “Supporting him is like committing suicide. I am sure even Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will not like what he said.”

Shinde camp leader Deepak Kesarkar also condemned Bhide’s remarks. “He should stick to his work related to Shivaji forts and refrain from any political comment,” he said. “I think his remarks should be seen as the result of his growing age.”

The Congress, which demanded that Bhide be arrested for his objectionable remarks against Gandhi and Nehru, held protest marches on Saturday and Sunday and filed criminal cases against him. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP joined its ally along with Ambedkaraite organisations in demanding action. A Congress leader filed a complaint in Amravati while a similar complaint was lodged in Oshiwara police station. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut also demanded an apology from Bhide.

The current stand taken by the BJP has surprised many, given that the Fadnavis government in 2018 had dropped Bhide’s name from the FIR related to the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1 that year. Despite the fact that Ambedkarite activists had cited Bhide’s role in instigating the violence, the Fadnavis government said there was no evidence found against him. Political analysts believe that the new-found concern of the BJP stems only from compulsion, given that not only the opposition parties but even its two ruling partners have slammed Bhide.

“The BJP has distanced itself from Bhide, but will the state government dare to arrest him?” asked a leader from the Shinde Shiv Sena. “Fadnavis gave him a clean chit in 2018. His condemnation this time has come only because he targeted the father of the nation. The party cannot afford any backlash over it at this juncture when general elections are round the corner.”

Bhide, 90, a native of Sangli district in western Maharashtra, formed his own outfit called the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan (SPH) in the late 1980s after leaving the RSS. His organisation claims to spread the teachings of emperor Shivaji and his son Sambhaji and drew a good response from youngsters from the Maratha, Lingayat and OBC communities. His support has reportedly faded of late, as there was a split in the SPH.

Bhide is synonymous with controversies. He stirred up a controversy in June 2018 by saying that medicinal mangoes from his orchard had helped infertile couples bear children. Last year, he asked a lady journalist to put a bindi on her forehead before asking him for a sound byte. Last month, he demanded that all warkaris (devotees) of Pandharpur stick to a dress code. He also said that devotees to the Vitthal temple should not be allowed entry unless they wore a dhoti.

Mumbai-based political analyst Prakash Akolkar said that Fadnavis’ reaction was “the style of the RSS and Hindutva organisations”. “They create outfits to drive their agenda but back out when there is a backlash,” he said. “The same thing has happened now. The reality is that the state government, which swiftly lodges cases against cartoonists and journalists for speaking out against atrocities, has allowed Bhide to roam free four days after his statement.”

Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that the BJP’s protestations rang hollow. “The BJP claims that it has nothing to do with Bhide, but at the same time its party workers are standing by Bhide supporters in demanding action against Congress leader Yashomati Thakur who condemned Bhide for his derogatory remarks,” he said. “Another Congress leader, Prithviraj Chavan, has received a death threat for demanding Bhide’s arrest.”