Digvijay keeps his promise, speech monitor on in MP

In fact, it is mostly due to this tough stance that Madhya Pradesh has seen very little of the functions, which have been reported from Rajasthan and UP, where trishuls have been distributed by the VHP and Bajrang Dal.

Acharya Dharmendra was arrested last night by police on a complaint by a resident of Dewas — where the VHP leader was addressing a public meeting — that he used inflammatory and offensive language about the minority community in his speech.

He was thus charged by Dewas Police with making an inflammatory speech under Sections 153 (a) and 295 (a) of the IPC and has been remanded to judicial custody till March 28.

This is not the first time that a senior VHP or Bajrang Dal leader has been arrested in Madhya Pradesh. Five years ago, Sadhvi Rithambra had been charged and arrested in Indore on similar grounds and the hearings in the case are still in progress. The action has had the effect of considerably curbing Rithambra’s activities in the state, and Digvijay’s subsequent warnings have seen even Togadia exercise restraint while speaking in Madhya Pradesh.