NCP leader says 'Lord Rama was a Bahujan, ate non-veg'; sparks row
"A person who has stayed in the forest for 14 years, where will he go to find vegetarian food?" NCP leader Awhad asked, referring to Rama's exile, as per the Ramayana.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad’s remark that Lord Rama was a non-vegetarian has triggered fierce criticism from political opponents, including the BJP.
"Lord Ram belongs to us, Bahujans. He used to hunt and eat animals. He is a Bahujan. They are trying to make everyone a vegetarian by giving Lord Ram's example,” Awhad, who belongs to Sharad Pawar-led NCP, said in Shirdi on Wednesday (January 4) in Maharashtra.
Not vegetarian
“But Lord Ram was not a vegetarian, he was a non-vegetarian. A person who has stayed in the forest for 14 years, where will he go to find vegetarian food?" Awhad asked, referring to the long years Rama had spent in exile in the forests as per the Ramayana.
The comment, ahead of the Lord Rama temple opening in Ayodhya, invited strong criticism from the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Critics protest
Supporters of Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP gathered outside Awhad’s house and shouted slogans against him both on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning. The police deployed extra personnel in front of Awhad's house.
Another group of protesters led by BJP MLA Ram Kadam vowed to file a police case against the NCP MLA on charges of hurting Hindu sentiments.
Mahatma Gandhi
"Anyone can say anything about Lord Ram, anyone can make fun of Hindus. They don't care… But come elections, they will talk about Hindutva," Kadam said.
Awhad also said that India got independence only because of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
"No matter what someone says, the truth is that we got independence only because of Gandhi and Nehru. Gandhiji was not assassinated in 1948 but the first attack on him took place in 1935, the second in 1938 and the third in 1942," he said.
