Raipur: Chhattisgarh Police arrested Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh on Thursday over his alleged derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, following which a court here sent him to police remand for two days, an official said.
Acting on a specific input, a team of Raipur police apprehended Kalicharan Maharaj alias Abhijeet Dhananjay Saraag around 4 am from a rented room near Bageshwar Dham, located about 25 km from Khajuraho town in MP, Raipur Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal said.
Three separate teams of Raipur police were sent to trace Kalicharan in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The seven-member team which was sent to MP got the success and arrested Kalicharan near Khajuraho, where he was staying in the rented room, he said, adding that he was brought here in the evening via road route.
"Kalicharan was later produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Chetna Thakur this evening. The court sent him to police remand for two days till January 1," Agrawal said.
The supporters of the religious leader expressed solidarity with him by raising slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Har Har Mahadev' in the court premises in Raipur district.
The arrest of Kalicharan Maharaj, however, led to a slugfest between the BJP-governed Madhya Pradesh and the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra claimed the action was a violation of the inter-state protocol, a charge denied by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who asked Mishra whether he was happy or sad with the arrest of the person who "abused" Mahatma Gandhi.
Baghel also said that action will be taken against those using abusive language against the Father of the Nation, who gave the message of peace and non-violence to the world.
During the conclusion of the two-day 'dharma sansad' (religious parliament) in Raipur on Sunday evening, the seer had allegedly used abusive words against the Father of the Nation, and asked people to elect a staunch Hindu leader as the head of the government in order to protect the religion.
On Sunday, an FIR was registered against Kalicharan Maharaj in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur for allegedly using derogatory words against Mahatma Gandhi.