The Maharashtra government sought to distance itself from the row surrounding the jailed cartoonist, but said it was trying to seek the release of the artist who has been charged with sedition. Home minister RR Patil told reporters here that his department has nothing to do with the complaint filed against Trivedi.

The Kanpur-based cartoonist was arrested by Mumbai Police on Saturday on the basis of a complaint, which alleged he posted seditious content on his website, filed in December by a member of Republican Party of India. A court had on Sunday remanded him to police custody till September 16.

Patil said the government was considering Trivedi's case sympathetically and trying to seek his release.