Bhide, an octogenarian, is facing allegations of instigating the violence against the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle earlier this week.
Citing apprehension of law and order issues, police denied permission for Bhide’s lecture on history of forts in Mumbai which was scheduled for Sunday, a senior police official said.
Pimpri police in Pune district have filed a case against Bhide and others under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for `attempt to murder’ under the IPC in connection with the violence on January 1 in which one person was killed.
Some Dalit organisation had written to the Director General of Police and Mumbai Police Commissioner, opposing permission for Bhide’s lecture and seeking a ban on his entry into the city.
However, speaking to reporters here, a functionary of Bhide’s organisation claimed that the organisation itself decided to cancel the program after police officials met them and expressed apprehension of law and order problem.