India, Feb. 15 -- The city police in Pune have registered a case against Harshwardhan Sapkal, the Maharashtra Congress unit president, following a complaint by the city BJP chief, Dhiraj Ghate, over his remarks about similarities between 17th century Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan of the 18th century.

The complaint said Sapkal's remarks "hurt the sentiments of Hindus" - apparently because Tipu was a Muslim, and Shivaji a Hindu - and thus could disturb communal harmony, news agency ANI reported.

Sapkal had made the remarks on Saturday, when he was speaking to reporters on a controversy over a portrait of Tipu Sultan displayed in the office of the Malegaon municipal corporation's deputy mayor Shan-e...