NCP MLA Awhad faces FIRs in Mumbai, Pune over 'Lord Ram was non-vegetarian' remark

Mumbai, Jan 6 (PTI) The Mumbai police have registered a case against NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad over his remark that Lord Ram was a non-vegetarian, an official said on Saturday.

The first information report (FIR) against the legislator was filed at the MIDC police station in suburban Andheri late Friday night, he said.

A similar case was registered against him in Pune city on Friday.

Awhad, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), represents the Mumbra-Kalwa assembly constituency in Thane district.

"The case against Awhad was filed in Mumbai based on a complaint lodged by Gautam Ravriya, an office-bearer of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). The complainant said that he heard Awhad making objectionable remarks against Lord Ram on a news channel," the police official said.

Awhad was booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), he said.

Awhad kicked up a row three days ago when he said that Lord Ram was a non-vegetarian.

"He used to hunt and eat. He is ours, of bahujans. 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 at an NCP conclave at Shirdi on Wednesday.

The term 'bahujan' is used to denote the non-Brahmin sections of society in Maharashtra.

The MLA later said he would express regret if anybody's sentiments were hurt.

In Pune, the FIR against Awhad was registered based on a complaint lodged by the Bharatiya Janata Party's city unit chief Dhiraj Ghate, police said. PTI