Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on October 27 said that he has directed police not to give permission for any programme of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) general secretary Pravin Togadia in the state in view of law and order problems created in the past due to Togadia's controversial statements against Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters after a day-long session of the SC and ST cell of the party, Deshmukh said that the VHP leader had created trouble at the places he had visited in the state, including Nagpur and Pune.

Police had therefore been directed to withhold permission for any programme to be addressed by the VHP leader, he said.

A probe had also been ordered into the Nagpur incidents where Congress workers "bore the brunt of both stone pelters and lathicharge by the police", he said.

The state government had received reports of arms being stored at various VHP offices in the state, he said, adding that the police had been ordered to deal with the matter strictly if the reports were found true.

A resolution was also passed at the meeting condemning Togadia's recent remark against Sonia.

PTI