Sambhajirao Vinayak Bhide | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sambhaji Bhide,[1] 10 June 1933 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | Savitribai Phule Pune University |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Organisation | Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan |
| Known for | Founding Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan |
| Other political affiliations | Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh |
Sambhaji Bhide is a Hindutva activist from Maharashtra. Bhide, a native of Sangli district, was a full-time worker for the Hindu-nationalist organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, before leaving to form his own organisation, the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, in the late 1980s. The organisation claimed to spread the teachings of Shivaji and his son Sambhaji.
He has a number of followers in Sangli, Kolhapur, Pune, Belgaum, Mumbai and Satara parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.[2] In 2008, his followers ransacked movie halls showing the film, Jodhaa Akbar; Bhide was arrested for his role in the unrest.[2] He was described in a 2018 media report as being close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[3]
He has a controversial history with political leaders.[4]
On 2 January 2018, a First Information Report was filed against him and Milind Ekbote for inciting the 1 January 2018 violence on Dalits in Koregaon Bhima.[5] Bhide claimed that the roots of the violence lay in the Elgar Parishad of 31 December 2017. He demanded that leaders such as Prakash Ambedkar, who had spoken at the event be arrested.[6][7] In August 2018, a petition was filed before the Bombay High Court seeking Bhide's arrest for his role in the Bhima Koregaon violence.[5] Activists approached the Supreme Court of India to demand an independent probe as to why the Pune police had not arrested Bhide till date despite multi-city searches and the addition of UAPA provisions. This petition was dismissed by the three judge bench with Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud dissenting.[8]