Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader of Sharad Pawar faction and former minister Jitendra Awhad’s remark that Lord Rama, being a ‘Kshatriya’, was not a vegetarian, has sparked a controversy ahead of the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction, has demanded that Awhad should be booked for hurting the sentiments of people.
Awhad had made the statement while countering the demand made by the BJP that January 22 should be declared as ‘dry day’, and observed as ‘vegetarian day’ as well. “We don’t read history and forget everything in politics. Ram is ours, who used to hunt to eat… Ram was never a vegetarian. He was a non-vegetarian. How can a man who lived in the jungle for 14 years remain a vegetarian?” Awhad commented.
BJP leader and MLA Ram Kadam submitted a complaint against Awhad at the local police station in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area on Thursday. While speaking to the media outside the police station, Ram Kadam said, “Their mindset is to hurt the sentiments of Ram Bhakts. They can’t make fun of the Hindu religion to gather votes. The fact that Ram Mandir has been built has not gown down well with the ‘ghamandi’ alliance.” He asked, “Why is Uddhav Thackeray, who is an alliance partner of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), silent on Awhad’s statement? Does he support this kind of statement?”
NCP Thane City chief Anand Paranjpe said he approached the local Vartak Nagar Police station and demanded that a ‘Zero FIR’ should be filed against Awhad for “hurting” religious sentiments of Hindus. “Though he had made a statement in Shirdi, a ‘Zero FIR’ can be filed anywhere and then can be transferred to the local police station of Shirdi. Today, four party workers of NCP (Ajit Pawar) wanted to do ‘Maha Aarti’ of Lord Rama outside his residence in Thane city but the police didn’t allow them. What was more shocking, after the police detained our party workers, Awhad’s supporters and workers cleaned that place with ‘Gomutra’ (Cow Urine). Is this not the double standard of Awhad? He claims he is progressive and his party workers do exactly the opposite. The meaning of secularism means to respect all religions but many times Awhad made statements that insulted the Hindus and hurt their sentiments. If Vartak Nagar police does not file an FIR against Awhad, then we will do ‘Maha Aarti’ of Lord Rama outside the police station.”
Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Krishna Hegde commented that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the INDIA bloc leaders are against ‘Sanatan Dharma’. “Awhad commented on Lord Rama without knowing that he had promised his mother Kaushalya that during his 14 years of ‘exile’ he would survive only on fruits and berries available in the jungle. I advise Awhad to read ‘The Ramayana’, ‘Upanishad’ and other literature of the Hindu religion as it seems he has completely forgotten the teachings of the Hindu religion.
Meanwhile, taking objection to the statement of Awhad, Ayodhya Seer Paramhans Acharya told media in Ayodhya, “The statement given by Jitendra Awhad is contemptuous and hurts the sentiment of Lord Rama devotees. I would urge Maharashtra and the central government to take strict action against people who speak foul of Lord Rama.”
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