My mango tree helps childless couples conceive, says India activist

Nashik Municipal Corporation asks him to provide proof along with the couples' names

An Indian rightwing activist found himself in hot waters for claiming that mangoes from a tree he planted helped 150 childless couples conceive.

The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Wednesday asked Sambhaji Bhide to identify the childless couples who, according to him, miraculously conceived children after eating mangoes from his farm.

He was also asked to provide proof - by the civic body - of the fruit helping the couples bear male children, NDTV reported.



Bhide made the claim at a public rally in Nashik which was part of his campaign to reinstate the golden throne at Raigad - the erstwhile capital of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's kingdom - earlier this month.

"I have never shared this with anyone except my mother. I have planted these mango trees in my farms. Till now, 180 childless couples took the fruit from me and 150 of them have had children," Bhide had claimed.

"If a couple wants a male child, they will have it after eating these mangoes. This mango is useful for those facing infertility," he had boasted.



Bhide received a notice from the NMC last week after asocial activist approached the health authorities debunking his claim, as told by a civic official.

The activist has been asked to provide names and addresses of the couples who benefited from his mangoes, the official said.

Bhide, who heads the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, is an accused in the January 1 Bhima-Koregaon caste violence case.

This article was originally published by The NDTV.