Gandhiji slur: After Chhattisgarh, Maha to book Kalicharan Maharaj

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) The Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Monday assured action against a religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj, who used abusive words against the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at a congregation in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

The Chhattisgarh government has already booked at least two persons, including Kalicharan Maharaj -- hailing from Akola in Maharashtra -- who not only used derogatory and abusive words against Gandhiji but even glorified his assassin Nathuram Gode, during a two-day 'Dharma Sansad' held in Raipur on Saturday-Sunday.

When the issue figured prominently in the Assembly Monday, members from both the ruling party and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party slammed Kalicharan Maharaj and demanded action against him.

"I assure... There will be action (against Kalicharan Maharaj). The MVA government will gather the full information and follow-up with stringent action in the matter," Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said in the House.

The matter was raised in the Hower House by Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik of the Nationalist Congress Party and others joined in.

State Congress President Nana Patole, Congress Minister Vijay Wadettiwar, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar and others spoke on the issue.

"The derogatory language used by Kalicharan Maharaj, a 'farzi baba' (fraud godman) has gone viral on social media networks... You may differ from Bapu's ideology but can his killers be glorified like this. This has been happening for over the past seven years... Temples (of Godse) are being built, let us now take action and set an example," Malik urged.

He said that "any insult to Gandhiji is an insult to the nation" and the government would get more information to proceed ahead in the matter.

Wadettiwar said that Mahatma Gandhi is a 'Maha Manav' (great soul) and his statues are available in 56 countries... but yet such insulting language is being used, while Mungantiwar said he agreed that there must be strict action against such utterances.

Following an outrage with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi flaying the development, the Chhattisgarh Police on Sunday lodged a first information report against Kalicharan Maharaj and others for the slur.

The police move followed a complaint by Congress former mayor of Raipur Pramod Dubey after video clips of the offensive words used by Kalicharan Maharaj went viral Sunday.