Marathi kirtankar (preacher) Nivrutti Maharaj Indurikar has said some people unhappy with his work for society and the Warkari community were trying to trouble him by demanding cases against him.

The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), which works to eradicate superstitious beliefs, last week sought a police case against Mr. Indurikar for remarks on timing of intercourse and the sex of child, which it said violated the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

During a sermon in a hamlet in Ahmednagar, the preacher reportedly said that a couple having intercourse on an even date would beget a son, and on an odd date a daughter. “If intercourse is done at an inauspicious time, the child that is born would bring a bad name to the family. If the timing (of intercourse) is missed, the quality of output (child) will be sub-standard,” he is heard saying in a video that went viral.

During a sermon on Sunday in Ahsti tehsil in Beed, the preacher said, “I have been working for society and among the Warkari community for the past 30-35 years. Some people are unhappy with this and want to put me in trouble.”

He received support from BJP MLC Suresh Dhas, who claimed the kirtankar had said what was written in the treatise Guru Charitra. “We will support Nivrutti Maharaj if any action is taken against him. What is the connection between what he said and the PCPNDT Act?,” Mr. Dhas asked.

The preacher received a rousing welcome in Bhosari in Pimpri Chin on Monday. with BJP’s Pimpri Chinchwad MLA Mahesh Landge said, “We will hit the roads if anyone tries to malign his image,” Mr. Landge said.