Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jitendra Awhad’s remarks that Lord Ram was “a non-vegetarian” sparked a furore, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday lodging a complaint against Mr. Awhad even as the NCP leader expressed regret for hurting sentiments.
Mr. Awhad, a three-term MLA from Thane’s Mumbra-Kalwa constituency, had claimed that Lord Ram belonged to the ‘bahujans’ and was a non-vegetarian contrary to popular belief.
Speaking during his party’s conclave in Shirdi on Wednesday, Mr. Awhad had said “Lord Ram is ours. He belongs to the bahujans. The Ram who hunts and eats is ours, we belong to the bahujans. We follow the ideals of Ram and today we eat mutton.”
