KS Bhagwan has been accused of depicting Lord Ram in poor light in his book. (File photo)
Academician and author KS Bhagwan has been charged for allegedly insulting Lord Ram and Mahatma Gandhi in his book, police said on Tuesday.
The Kannada book "Rama Mandira Yeke Beda" (Why Ram temple is not required) claims Ram was not a God and he suffered from weaknesses just as any other human being. Right-wing organisations had on Friday staged a demonstration against Mr Bhagwan, accusing him of depicting Lord Ram in poor light in his book and making derogatory references.
A complaint was lodged by Hindu Jagaran Vedike Mysuru district president K Jagadish Hebbar on Saturday against Mr Bhagwan's alleged derogatory references to Lord Ram and Mahatma Gandhi in his book, the police official said.
Mr Bhagwan, who had courted controversy by making certain references to the Bhagavad Gita that are termed as "offensive" by right-wing organisations, has made unflattering observations about Lord Ram's character in his book.
The author, however, had defended his work, saying it was based on Valmiki's Ramayana.
Pro-Hindu activists had staged a demonstration in front of his house on Friday and courted arrest.
BJP's Karnataka unit also had targeted Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy over his "silence" on the issue and demanded that the author be arrested immediately.
State senior BJP leader and MLA S Suresh Kumar had said in a Facebook post that the state government had two choices "either it should jail Mr Bhagwan or send him to mental hospital".