Troubles for the Sangh Parivar in Orissa increased further on Tuesday after the police finally arrested BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Kandhamal, Ashok Sahu, and the local court rejected his bail plea later during the day.

Sahu is charged with making inflammatory speech against the Christians and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik; the other grave accusation he faces is inciting communal passion, a non-bailable offence under the law.

The BJP MP candidate is now in the district Jail at G. Udaigiri Block, where the party’s assembly candidate from the area Manoj Pradhan is already lodged, for eight counts of murder and rioting in the anti-Christian riots in Kandhamal in August last.

The police, which had been on the look-out for Sahu for three days now, today booked him afresh under Sections 295-A of the IPC - for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs and Section 505 of the IPC — for statements conducing to public mischief, which is a non-bailable offence.

The imposition of fresh sections against him come after the Election Commission, in its directive to the district magistrate of Kandhamal, had sought addition of two more sections - Section 505 and Section 295-A of the IPC on him.

The decision to take sterner measures was taken at a meeting by the EC after examination of the CD containing his speech sent by the DM. The commission has also directed the DM to issue a notice to Sahu for violation of the model code of conduct and to reply by April 15.

Sahu was earlier booked under Section 153 of the IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of People Act for making an inflammatory speech at the communally-sensitive Raikia Block of Kandhamal.

Sahu was arrested by Kandhamal SP Parveen Kumar, when he assembled with his supporters in the Phulkbani assembly segment of the district, where he planned a road show today.

Later, Sahu was produced in the court of Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate at Balliguda, under who’s jurisdiction falls the location where Sahu delivered his controversial speech. He was then shifted to the G. Udaigiri Jail after the court declined him bail.