Sehore (Madhya Pradesh): A BJP leader was arrested by police in the Ashta area of Sehore district for allegedly giving provocative speech and trying to disturb peace on Saturday.
The accused has been identified as BJP leader and former councillor Kalu Bhatt. He was taken into custody on Saturday and later produced before the Sehore SDM court.
According to police, Kalu Bhatt was standing on a JCB machine near Bhopal Naka in Ashta and was allegedly making inflammatory statements.
As soon as the police received information, they reached the spot and detained him. Karni Sena worker Ankush Rajput was also taken into custody in the same case. Both were later presented before the SDM court, from where they were sent to jail.
The arrest comes amid tension in the area following a clash. Karni Sena members returning from Harda had an argument with people from a particular community in Ashta. The dispute later turned violent, leading to stone-pelting and injuries.
Since then, the situation in the area has remained tense. Police had earlier arrested more than 10 people based on CCTV footage.
Members of the Muslim community submitted a memorandum to Ashta SDM Nitin Tale on Friday, demanding strict action against those spreading communal tension through social media.
Officials said that on Saturday, Kalu Bhatt again reached Bhopal Naka and allegedly gave statements that could worsen the situation. Fearing further unrest, the administration took immediate action.
Heavy police force has been deployed in and around the Sehore SDM office. Senior officials, including SDM Tanmay Verma, CSP Dr Abhinandan Sharma, Kotwali police station in-charge Ravindra Yadav, and Mandi police station in-charge Sunil Mehar, were present on the spot.
