Kalicharan Maharaj booked in Pune for making provocative speech
Police said the event was organised on December 19 to celebrate the killing of Bijapur Sultanate general Afzal Khan by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century
PUNE: Kalicharan Maharaj, who has been in the news for praising Nathuram Godse for killing Mahatma Gandhi, and Samast Hindu Aghadi’s Milind Ekbote have been booked in Pune for allegedly making provocative speeches during a public event in the city last week.
Police said the event was organised on December 19 to celebrate the killing of Bijapur Sultanate general Afzal Khan by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century. They added the accused made derogatory comments against Christians and Muslim communities that could incite people and hurt religious sentiments.
The other accused booked in the case have been identified as Mohanrao Shete, Deepak Nagpure, Nandkishore Ekbote, and Digendra Kumar.
Somnath Dhage, a police officer, said the case was registered on Tuesday at Pune’s Khadak police station as police took cognisance of an inflammatory video clip of the event which went viral on social media. A probe into the matter has been initiated.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said the state government would seek information about Maharaj’s derogatory comments against Gandhi in Raipur. He added exemplary action will be initiated if any wrongdoing was found.
Ekbote is one of the accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence near Pune in 2018. He was arrested on charges of delivering an inflammatory speech ahead of the bicentennial celebrations of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon.
