300 booked for illegal protest & 'raising objectionable slogans' in Pune

Pune: Police have registered a case against nearly 300 people after alleged objectionable slogans were raised during a protest outside the Pune District Collectorate, an official said on Sunday.

A ‘Sarvdharm Sambhav Mahamorcha’ was organised on Friday to protest against the recent purported remarks by religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj against Islam. During the protest, the alleged slogans were raised, the official said.

According to the police, the morcha was organised without permission and the slogans created communal tension and enmity between communities.

“An offence has been registered at the Bundgarden police station against 200-300 people who had participated in the morcha,” said a senior police official.

The case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for unlawful assembly, promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race and language and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony and under the Maharashtra Police Act.

Ramgiri Maharaj had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Islam at Shah Panchale village in Sinnar taluka of Maharashtra's Nashik district during a religious event some days ago. Multiple cases have been registered against him over the remarks.