Police complaint filed by pro-Hindu activists at Nashik
Nashik (Maharashtra): Journalist Niranjan Takle has made an objectionable statement regarding Hindu Sadhus, claiming that the Sadhus and Saints who come to the Simhastha Kumbh Mela “consume truckloads of marijuana and spread foul smell everywhere”. In protest against this statement, activists of various pro-Hindu organisations came together and filed a complaint against Mr. Takle at the Panchavati Police Station.
Present on the occasion were Shri. Sandeep Wagh of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Shri. Kailas Deshmukh of Sakal Hindu Samaj, Shri. Manish Gosavi of Hindu Mahasabha, Shri. Milind Kulkarni of Jeevadhar Sangh, and from the Vishva Devasthan Samiti — Nandkishor Bhavsar, Lakhan Aaher, Shambhau Bolkar, Rajesh Pardeshi, among others.
The complaint states the following:
1. Niranjan Takle’s statement has hurt the religious sentiments of the Saint community and of crores of Hindus. It has always been the conspiracy of urban naxals to defame the Kumbh Mela at the global level.
2. Niranjan Takle has attempted to malign a social institution like the Kumbh Mela, disrupt social harmony, and create social as well as religious discord. The Police must take serious cognisance of such statements that disturb social peace.
3. An offence should be registered against him for making inflammatory statements against Hindu Dharma and its festivals, defaming Saints and the religion, misleading Hindus, creating religious disharmony, and globally maligning the Kumbh Mela, which has been recognised by UNESCO as ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’.
