Mumbai police book NCP MLA for remarks on Lord Ram

The Mumbai police have booked a case against NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Jitendra Awhad for his statement that Lord Ram was a non-vegetarian

The Mumbai police have booked a case against NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Jitendra Awhad for his statement that Lord Ram was a non-vegetarian.

The FIR was registered at the MIDC police station in Andheri on Friday evening, following a complaint lodged by Gautam Ravriya of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Another FIR was earlier filed in Pune, based on a complaint by BJP leader Dhiraj Ghate.

Mr. Awhad, representing the Mumbra-Kalwa constituency, faces charges under IPC section 295(A) for remarks deemed offensive to religious sentiments.

The complainant informed the police that he heard Mr. Awhad making “objectionable” remarks against Lord Ram on a news channel. The MLA made a statement claiming Lord Ram was a non-vegetarian, during an NCP conclave in Shirdi earlier this week. “He [Lord Ram] used to hunt and eat. He is ours, of bahujans [non-Brahmins]. You [an apparent reference to the BJP] are turning us into vegetarians, [but] we are following the example of Ram and consuming mutton,” he said.

Mr. Awhad’s remarks drew severe flak from the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and several Ayodhya seers, with BJP workers beating effigies of the NCP leader in Pune and Mumbai, and the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena demonstrating in Nashik.

Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das, strongly refuted the claims, calling them utterly “false.”

The NCP leader later expressed willingness to apologise if sentiments were hurt.