The Telangana Police on Wednesday banned a spiritual leader from Hyderabad for six months for allegedly making provocative statements, PTI reported. The head of Sri Peetham of Kakinada, Swami Paripoornananda, allegedly made provocative statements in Narayankhed in November 2017 and on many other occasions.

“Yes... he has been externed from Hyderabad city for six months [under the Telangana Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act],” Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar told PTI.

The police’s action comes two days after Paripoornananda was put under house arrest ahead of his padayatra. He was lodged in a house owned by a real estate firm in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, but has now been shifted out of the city, reported The Times of India.

Paripoornananda had demanded the arrest of Telugu film critic and actor Mahesh Kathi for allegedly making statements that “disrespected” Hindu deities. The police, however, did not give the spiritual leader permission to hold a protest rally. On Monday, the police had similarly banned Kathi from Hyderabad for six months.

Later in the day, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded that the orders against Paripoornananda be revoked immediately. “Externing Swami Paripoornananda is totally wrong,” VHP Telangana state president Rama Raju told PTI. “We demand for immediate withdrawal of the externment order.”

The VHP said such orders were issued against anti-social elements. The outfit called Paripoornananda a seer and questioned how he could be compared with film critic Kathi Mahesh. “In view of regular attacks on Hindus, the Swamiji wanted to take out a procession for which permission was initially granted but suddenly it was cancelled on the grounds that some anti-social elements are likely to cause law and order problem,” Raju said.