Hyderabad, July 9: Popular Telugu film critic Kathi Mahesh was banned from entering Hyderabad for six months by the Telangana Police on Monday. Mahesh Kathi was externed from Hyderabad for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of a community, said Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Mahender Reddy.

"This is not acceptable. Kathi Mahesh has made adverse comments affecting the religious sentiments of a community. He has been externed from the city of Hyderabad for the next 6 months under the Telangana Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act, 1930 and he has been taken out of the city to be dropped at his native place in Chittoor district," the top cop said.

Kathi Mahesh allegedly made derogatory comments against Lord Rama and Sita during a debate on a sedition case filed against rationalist Babu Gogineni. “For me, Ramayana is just another story…I believe Rama is as much a cheater (dagulbhaji) as he is ideal in that story. And I think perhaps Sita would have been better, might have gotten justice if she had stayed with Ravana. What’s wrong with that?" he reportedly had said.

The freelance critic later engaged in a war of words through the media with a Hindu seer named Swami Paripoornananda. The seer said that he will go to any extent to ensure Kathi Mahesh is arrested for humiliating Hindu sentiments. Earlier today, the police placed Swami Paripoornananda under house arrest at his Jubilee Hills residence.

The seer was scheduled to lead a ‘Darmika Chaitanya Yatra’ beginning from Hyderabad without permission. The police suspected that anti-social elements could take advantage of the rally and cause a disturbance to public peace.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2018 09:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).