Ex-minister Jitendra Awhad threatens to resign after being targeted with “false cases”; NCP calls it a clear conspiracy to silence opposition

NCP cadres’ stage massive protests, shutdown in Mumbra in support of Jitendra Awhad 

@the_news_21

Mumbai: Soon after the police slapped a case of molestation against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad on Monday, the former Housing minister announced that he was resigning his legislative post, this sparked-off massive protests in support of Jitendra Awhad erupted against the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis government in Mumbra in Thane district.   

Speaking to newspersons here, Awhad said the molestation case was “a conspiracy” to defame him publicly, the NCP. Meanwhile, the other Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance partners decried that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction were stooping to any level to silence the opposition by maligning them. 

This is the second case lodged against Jitendra Awhad – a three-term member of the Mumbra-Kalwa Assembly constituency – in less than three days. The NCP leader had been arrested last Friday (and later released on bail the next day) after he and his supporters reportedly stopped the screening of a Marathi film Har Har Mahadev at a Thane’s Viviana multiplex, alleging the film grossly distorted the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

The Mumbra police had registered a case around Sunday midnight against Jitendra Awhad under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) following a complaint by a woman believed to be a BJP activist. 

The complainant alleged that the NCP leader had ‘pushed’ her while he was making way for himself during the dispersal of a crowd after an inauguration event where Jitendra Awhad shared the stage with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. A purported video clip that surfaced after the flyover inauguration event shows the MLA brushing a woman aside (among others) in order to clear a path for the CM’s convoy. 

Upset by the allegations, Jitendra Awhad on Monday morning announced on Twitter that he was resigning as an MLA. 

He tweeted, “Police lodged two false complaints against me including on charges under IPC 354. I am taking the decision to resign as MLA. I will fight against such police atrocities against me. I cannot see the murder of democracy with my eyes.” 

While speaking to media persons later, a visibly distraught Jitendra Awhad said that while he could confront any number of phony cases lodged against him under any section of the IPC, a case under sections 354 and 376 “were unacceptable” to him. 

The senior NCP MLA remarked, “Section 354 and 376 is very serious and I have no wish to be tainted by them. Maharashtra is going through a very bad phase politically. Three days before a false case was lodged against me. But that is a legal battle. Here, by lodging a case under section 354, they are trying to demolish my character. The allegation of molestation is unacceptable to me. You may even lodge murder cases against me…but this defamatory clause is being wielded in such a manner that it will lower my social standing.”

While the NCP top brass including State President Jayant Patil, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar and Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule tried to dissuade Jitendra Awhad from resigning, protests erupted in Mumbra in his support and against the government. 

Meanwhile, Jitendra Awhad’s wife, Ruta Awhad, led protests in support of her husband against the government. She said the woman’s complaint was bizarre and that by her definition, every little push or shove that happened in crowded bazaars or railway station would qualify as ‘molestation’ attempts. 

Ruta Awhad further added, “If one is going to any political rally or programme and if she thinks she is a ‘touch me not’ kind, then she must not go there.” She lashed out against the complainant by saying that she had “a motive” in defaming her husband. 

Security was beefed up in the minority-dominated area as tyres were burnt at a number of places while shops were shut down to express solidarity with Jitendra Awhad, known as a popular leader in his Kalwa-Mumbra assembly constituency.

Reacting to the development, senior NCP leader Supriya Sule said, “Jitendra Awhad is being repeatedly targeted. He is a good and sensitive people’s representative. It is extremely unfortunate the level to which politics have plummeted in the State…he should not resign as resignation is not the solution.” 

She further argued that in a large crowd, it was obvious there would be some jostling and that this was no reason for anyone to lodge an extreme case (secn. 354 of IPC) against Jitendra Awhad.      

Both Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar rushed to Jitendra Awhad’s residence to comfort him and tried to talk him out of resigning his post. 

Senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar remarked, “Such a thing has not happened in Maharashtra before… if the opposition’s voices are being suppressed in this manner just because the government has changed, then it is indeed shameful.”  

“If you see the clip, it is evident he is just asking her (the complainant) to go on one side so the CM’s convoy can move ahead. Nobody knows who has influenced her to lodge such a complaint. We urge the police department to at least think before accepting such complaints in future,” added Ajit Pawar. He further stated that he would be drawing the attention of Home minister Devendra Fadnavis immediately on this matter. 

Arguing that the FIR was a “clear conspiracy” against Jitendra Awhad, Ajit Pawar said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde himself ought to have come out and clarified there was no molestation whatsoever given that the incident happened right before his eyes.  

Jitendra Awhad has already penned a resignation letter addressed to the Assembly Speaker.  

However, Ajit Pawar said that the final decision on Jitendra Awhad’s resignation would be taken by NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s and that Dr. Jitendra Awhad would respect the NCP chief’s decision. 

Meanwhile, stating that his government had never done, nor intended to carry out any investigation out of any political bias, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde denied accusations of any political vendetta being behind the FIR against Awhad. 

The Chief Minister said, “The woman has filed a complaint. The police will probe as per the law. There is no pressure on them and neither is there any political vendetta behind it. The police will verify her claims.” 

The ruling BJP hit out at Jitendra Awhad’s ‘resignation antics’, with senior minister Girish Mahajan remarking that Jitendra Awhad ought to have more faith in the law instead of needlessly getting agitated. 

“Whether he wants to give his resignation or not, that is his affair. What is the need to get so agitated? He needs to have some faith in law. This drama must stop,” added Girish Mahajan.