A case has been filed on Mallikarjun Kharge that he has hurt sentiments of Assamese people.
An FIR has been filed against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Assam, alleging that he disrespected the Bharat Ratna award and his comments on legendary musical maestro Bhupen Hazarika was derogatory.
The First Information Report was filed by RTI activist Raju Mahanta in Assam's Morigaon district.
Mr Kharge had criticised the government for conferring the award to a "singer" instead of late spiritual leader Dr Shivakumara Swami of Karnataka.
The BJP's north-east strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said Mr Kharge must apologise for his remark against the Bharat Ratna and Bhupen Hazarika.
The All-Assam Students' Union has asked the Congress not to politicise the singer's Bharat Ratna.
Cornered on this issue, Mr Kharge issued a clarification. "Dr Hazarika was one of our country's most gifted artists whose extraordinary talents encompassed music, poetry, literature and cinema. His contributions brought the culture and art of Assam to the attention of the world. Dr Hazarika's work greatly enriched the cultural landscape of our nation and his influence on the world of art and culture remains profoundly relevant even today," Mr Kharge said in a statement.