Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Jitendra Awhad has been booked by the Bundgarden Police in Pune for allegedly hurting public sentiments and promoting disharmony, enmity, or feelings of hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups or castes or communities by tearing a poster containing Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's photo.
BJP office-bearer Bhimrao Baban Sathe (age 48) filed a complaint against Awhad at the Bundgarden police station, leading to the registration of an FIR under sections 153, 153A, 295A, 504, 505, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In his statement to the police, Sathe alleged that on May 29, Jitendra Awhad and his supporters disrespected Dr. B.R. Ambedkar by tearing and burning a poster containing Dr. Ambedkar’s photo at Chavdar Tale in Mahad. The BJP claimed that by doing this, Awhad hurt the sentiments of people following Dr. Ambedkar’s teachings and deliberately tried to create a rift between communities and generate tension.
The BJP demands strict action against MLA Jitendra Awhad for creating disharmony among the community. BJP office-bearers organized a protest at the Bundgarden Police Station demanding action against Awhad.
Awhad, while protesting against the implementation of a verse of the “Manusmriti” in the school curriculum, accidentally tore a poster containing Dr. Ambedkar’s photo. This action attracted the wrath of Ambedkarites and the BJP, who demanded action against Awhad.
Later, Awhad issued an unconditional public apology to the citizens and the Dalit community for hurting their sentiments.
In his apology statement, Awhad said, “While protesting against Manusmriti in a spirit of emotion, I tore down the poster as the word Manusmriti was written on it. I did not realize Babasaheb’s photo was on it. The opposition will play politics on it. I made a mistake. I apologize for being too absorbed!”