Bhopal: Unidentified men stole the mortal remains of Mahatma Gandhi on the same day as his 150th birth anniversary, and wrote the words ‘anti-national’ on a poster bearing his photograph in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district.

Gandhi’s mortal remains and the poster were kept at the Bapu Bhawan, located in Laxman Bagh. The Bhawan was constructed in 1948 and has been preserved since then by the Laxman Bagh Trust.

When Congress worker Ram Krishn Sharma and other party members reached Bapu Bhawan to pay tributes to Gandhi on Wednesday, they found that his remains were missing and ‘rashtra drohi’ (Hindi for ‘anti-national’)scrolled on his poster with dark paint.

They immediately informed police.

Acting on their complaint, Rewa Police has filed an FIR against unidentified men under Section 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code at the Bichhiya police station.

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“On the complaint of one Gurmeet Singh (Mangu), an FIR has been registered…a probe is on,” said Rewa superintendent of police Abid Khan.

Commenting on the issue, district Congress chief and complainant Gurmeet Singh, said, “Gandhi’s ideology has been shamed again. This unlawful act must have been done by the followers of Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse. This madness must stop. I urge Rewa police to check CCTV cameras installed inside Bapu Bhawan and nab the accused.”

The Laxman Bagh, which looks after the Bhawan is one of the oldest trusts established by the Rewa Maharaj. The trust owns various temples, farms and cow sheds across the district.

Bapu Bhawan caretaker Mangaldeep Tiwari said, “I opened the gate of the Bhawan early in the morning because it was Gandhi’s birthday. When I returned at around 11 pm, I found the mortal remains of Gandhi missing and his poster was defaced. This is shameful.”