Seer externed from Hyderabad for 6 months

Hyderabad police on Wednesday externed a Hindu religious leader from the city for six months for allegedly making provocative statements against other communities.

Sri Peetham Swami Paripoornananda, who was under house arrest for last two days, was picked up by police early on Wednesday and was taken out of the city limits. Sources said he would be dropped at his ashram in Kakinada town in Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar issued Swami's externment order under Telangana Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act, 1980.

The move came two days after Telangana Police externed film critic Kathi Mahesh from Hyderabad for six months for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus through his alleged derogatory comments on Lord Ram and Sita.

Mahesh was taken out of the city and dropped at his native place in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

The same day police had placed Swami Paripoornanda under house arrest as he had planned to launch 'Darmika Chaitanya Yatra' to protest Mahesh's comments.

The seer had announced the three-day yatra from Shiva Temple in Bodduppal on the outskirts of Hyderabad to Yadadri.

Paripoornanda was staying at a house of a real-estate businessman in posh Jubliee Hills.

Several leaders of BJP including former Union Minister and MP Bandaru Dattatreya and local legislator Chintala Ramachandra Reddy had called on him on Tuesday. Leaders of BJP, VHP and other organisations had taken exception to the police action.

The extenment order cited several instances of Paripoornanda making statements promoting enmity between communities.

The police said Paripoornanda, who started an organisation 'Rashtriya Hindu Sena' in November 2017, made provocative remarks at meetings at Hyderabad, Kamareddy and other places in Telangana.

--IANS

ms/in