Bhubaneswar, March 29 -- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nabin Jain was booked for allegedly engaging in celebratory firing during a Ram Navami procession in Odisha's Titlagarh town on Friday, police said.

Videos of the incident were widely shared online on Saturday, following which he was booked under Section 125 (acts endangering public safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, which deal with punishment for illegal possession, manufacturing, or use of firearms.

Jain had earlier dismissed the episode as a "playful" act intended to energise the crowd of devotees, initially claiming that the pistol used was a toy gun. However, police later confirmed that the firearm was licensed and re...