- Abhijeet Bhattacharya has sparked controversy yet again.
- Abhijeet referred to Mahatma Gandhi as the “father of Pakistan.”
- Pune-based lawyer Asim Sarode has sent a legal notice.
Indian singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, known for his inflammatory statements, has sparked controversy yet again. During a recent podcast, Abhijeet referred to Mahatma Gandhi as the “father of Pakistan,” claiming, “Mahatma Gandhi is not the father of India but of Pakistan. India existed before that, Pakistan seceded from India later. Gandhi has been mistakenly called the father of India.”
In response, Pune-based lawyer Asim Sarode has sent a legal notice on behalf of his client, Manish Deshpande, demanding an apology from the singer. The notice warns that failure to issue an apology will result in a formal complaint under sections 353 (public disorder) and 356 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The notice also highlights Gandhi’s contributions, emphasizing his efforts to foster Hindu-Muslim unity. “During the freedom movement, when the question of partition came up, Gandhiji had said, ‘India will be divided only by passing over my dead body. As long as I am alive, I will never accept partition,’” the notice states.
Abhijeet, notorious for his controversial remarks, has previously drawn criticism for targeting Pakistani artists and, more recently, British singer Dua Lipa, accusing her of not crediting him during a performance in Mumbai.