C’garh CM’s father in 15-day judicial custody for remarks on Brahmins

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, alleged that the CM got the case registered to “pacify the community in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh”.

Published on: Sep 8, 2021, 01:58:10 IST

By Ritesh Mishra, Hindustan Times, Raipur

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A local court in Raipur on Tuesday sent Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s father, Nand Kumar Baghel, 86, to 15-day judicial custody for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, alleged that the CM got the case registered to “pacify the community in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh”.

“Nand Kumar Baghel was arrested and brought from Delhi to Raipur on Tuesday,” said Raipur additional superintendent of Police, Tarkeshwar Patel. After his arrest, the CM’s father was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Raipur, district superintendent of police Prashant Agarwal said.

The arrest comes days after the 86-year-old was booked for promoting enmity between different groups on the complaint of Sarv Brahmin Samaj. In its complaint, the outfit alleged that the CM’s father, at an event in Uttar Pradesh recently, urged people to “boycott Brahmins” and termed them “foreigners”. It also accused him of asking people to “evict” Brahmins from the country, an official had said citing the complaint.

The CM’s father has not applied for bail so far, officials said. “This is my decisive fight against Brahminism and I will fight it till the Supreme Court,” Nand Kumar Baghel told reporters outside the court premises.

The CM had earlier said “nobody is above the law”. “Every person is equal before my government...I honour him as his son but as a CM I cannot forgive him for such statements which disturb public order,” he said in a statement on Sunday after the FIR was filed.

The BJP has said that Baghel is “trying to save his image”.“The people of the Brahmin community and other communities were not happy with CM Baghel and his government. Hence, a case was registered... The aim was to pacify the community in Chhattisgarh and UP… Through this arrest the CM is trying to save his image,” said Dharmlal Kaushik, senior BJP leader and leader of opposition in the state.

Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to go to polls next year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

Chhattisgarh News

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.