Police book activist for her remarks on Mahatma Gandhi

PTI, Jan 13, 2025, 8:14 AM IST

Udupi: The Udupi Town police have registered a case against activist Meenakshi Shaharawat, who delivers lectures on cultural aspects on social media, for allegedly making provocative statements and questioning Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to India during an event here on January 4.

Shaharawat has been booked under Sections 353(2) and 353(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The administrator of Udupi Adamaru Mutt, Govinda Nagaraju, who organised the event, has also been named in the case, police sources said.

According to the FIR filed on January 5, based on a complaint by Sub-Inspector Punith Kumar of the Udupi Town Police Station, Shaharawat made the remarks during a speech on “Lessons from Bangla,” questioning the title of ‘Father of the Nation’ accorded to Gandhi.

She reportedly claimed that Gandhi’s advocacy of non-violence was intended to weaken Hindus.