Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel's father, Nand Kumar Baghel, has been sent to 15-day judicial custody by a local court in Raipur for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community.
According to superintendent of police Prashant Agarwal, he was produced in a court and sent to jail. The 86-year-old Nand Kumar Baghel was booked last week for allegedly saying that Brahmins should be boycotted.
Earlier on Sunday, Bhupesh Baghel told reporters, "Nobody is above the law in my government, even if he is the Chief Minister's 86-year-old father. As Chief Minister, I have the responsibility to maintain harmony among different communities. If he made a remark against a community, I am sorry. Legal action will be taken."
"Everyone knows about my ideological differences with my father. Our political thoughts and beliefs are different. I respect him as his son, but as Chief Minister, I cannot forgive him for such mistakes which disturb public order."
According to officials, a case for promoting enmity between different groups was registered against the CM’s father on the complaint of the Sarv Brahmin Samaj.
“A case was registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) and 505(1)(b) (with intent to cause, or likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquillity) against Nand Kumar Baghel (86),” Ajay Yadav, a senior police official, said.
