Evict Aseem Trivedi from 'Bigg Boss', says RPI

Angry Dalits from different parts of the state marched Thursday morning to the "Bigg Boss" home demanding eviction of one of its inmates, cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, a Republican Party of India (RPI) member said.

About 5,000 marchers, led by RPI chief Ramdas Athavale, have gathered here from Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and other parts, party spokesperson Mayur Borkar said.

"Last week, Athavale had raised objections to Colors TV channel including Trivedi in its reality show, 'Bigg Boss', as he had committed insults to various symbols of India and denigrated the constitution. He had given one week's time to the TV channel to evict him or face action," he told IANS.

Since the channel failed to remove him, the RPI led a march Thursday to seek his eviction from the "Bigg Boss" house, being shot in a bungalow in the hill town of Lonavala, about 100 km from Mumbai.

"Bigg Boss" is a reality show where contestants are locked inside the house for 98 days, away from the comforts of their everyday lives, and without any communication with the outside world. They have 70 cameras prying on their activities 24x7.

Borkar said Trivedi had been unknown till he targeted various Indian symbols like the tricolour, the Ashok Chakra, parliament and the constitution.

"While the Maharashtra government may have let him off, he is still unanswerable to us as he has denigrated the constitution of India, penned by the great Dalit leader, Babasaheb Ambedkar," the official said.

Two months ago, Trivedi hogged the limelight after the Maharashtra government slapped sedition charges on him for sketching obscene cartoons denigrating Indian constitution and other symbols, during last year's Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption crusade in Mumbai.

Trivedi was thrown in jail but after a public outcry, was released. The sedition charges against him were quietly dropped.