Mahesh was escorted to his ancestral hometown Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh by a police team.
Mahesh had made some comments on Ram, Sita and Ravana during a debate on TV9 news Channel. The discussion was on a sedition case against a rationalist activist R R Babu Gogineni.
Several members of the Bajrang Dal and other Hindu groups had registered complaints against Mahesh, and a case was registered under section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of IPC.
A Hindu seer Paripoornananda Saraswati, after a heated exchange of words through media statements, had announced starting a march against Mahesh. The seer was placed under house detention.
Telangana DGP M Mahender Reddy told media that police had used its powers under the Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act 1930 to extern Mahesh. “Kathi Mahesh’s comments have hurt the religious sentiments of a majority of the people who have expressed their anger in various ways. Mahesh misused his freedom of expression and speech which has caused acrimony, and his comments have drawn adverse reactions from various quarters,” Reddy said.
Many activists have criticised the police for taking banishing Mahesh. Columnist and writer T Ravi said, “Ok, Police banished Katti Mahesh from Hyd city. The legal implications etc. to be studied. I am never a supporter of his style though invite critical study of everything. However, how about other communal elements including some revered who went out of the way in the name of protest?”
Another activist James Taneti condemned the action saying, “Mahesh has only voiced what Dalits have been saying for centuries.” Taneti tweeted, “I condemn the arrest of #KattiMahesh, a punishment without due trial. Mahesh has only voiced what Dalits have been saying for centuries. Even Brahmin literati voiced these critics earlier. Hearing it from a Dalit on a TV is a threat to the landowning classes.”
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