Case reported against Jitendra Awhad in wrong manner: NCP senior leader Ajit Pawar
The Thane district police registered a case against the NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, following a complaint by a woman, under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty).
FollowReacting to the Nationalist Congress Party leader Jitendra Awhad's claim that 'fake' cases were filed against him, senior party leader Ajit Pawar, on Monday, said that the case against the party's MLA was filed incorrectly and should be withdrawn.
The Thane district police registered a case against Awhad, following a complaint by a woman, under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty).
As per the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant claimed that the NCP leader pushed her while clearing a path for himself on Sunday night in Mumbra after the chief minister's event.
While talking to the media, the state's Opposition minister, Ajit Pawar, said, "I insist that this case (against Awhad) be withdrawn because it was registered in the wrong manner."
"Awhad tweeted that he would resign after two offences were filed against him as he was sick of the way the police were being used. First and foremost, I would like to urge Awhad not to take such action," Pawar said.
Pawar expressed his displeasure with the recent incidents involving Awhad, saying that when the screening of the Marathi film 'Har Har Mahadev' was disrupted, the person who was beaten up informed him that Awhad had protected him. However, a case was filed against the NCP leader, and he was detained at a police station overnight.
"In the second incident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was present at the programme, as was Awhad. In the video, he is seen asking people to move aside (to make way) and attempting to make the woman step aside. Nothing else happened. Although Shinde was only 10 metres away, this type of offence was reported," Pawar said.
The chief minister should come forward and say that nothing of the sort actually happened. Pawar added regardless of how he became a chief minister, he represents the state's 13 crore people.
"Since the state's formation, Maharashtra has had a distinctive political culture. However, some distasteful incidents have recently occurred in the state," Pawar said.
The NCP leader said that while political and ideological differences may exist, such incidents harm the state.
"Several individuals believe that there was no need to invoke such a section (against Awhad), but this is an attempt to drag a people's representative into difficulties, and it's an act of cowardice," he added, adding that such things were brought up to divert attention from the real issues.
If someone's behaviour violates the law, action should be taken, but the image of public officials should not be tarnished for no reason, according to Pawar.
Previously, Awhad, the MLA from Thane's Mumbra-Kalwa, was arrested on Friday after he and his supporters disrupted a "Har Har Mahadev" screening at a multiplex inside a mall in Thane city, claiming the film distorted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's history. In that case, he was granted bail by a court on Saturday.
(With inputs from PTI)
Also read: NCP leader Jitendra Awhad arrested for forcefully stopping screening of film 'Har Har Mahadev'
Also read: NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, others booked for stopping screening of Marathi film 'Har Har Mahadev'
Also read: Sharad Kelkar's 'Har Har Mahadev' faces wrath of Maratha outfits; screenings shut in Pune, Thane
