Hardik Pandya faces legal trouble over BR Ambedkar tweet from parody account
Mistaking a parody account as that of Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya, the petitioner termed the tweet on BR Ambedkar as an attempt to ‘spread hatred and create division in the society’
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya finds himself in a soup after a special SC/ST court on Wednesday directed the police to file an FIR against him over a tweet on BR Ambedkar. The tweet, however, was posted by a parody account, and not by Pandya, it has emerged.
In a tweet posted in December last year, a spoof account has posted, “Which Ambedkar ??? The one who drafted a cross law and constitution or the one who spread the disease called reservation in the country.”
The account, which went by the username ‘@sirhardik3777’, had posted the tweet on December 26 last year, NDTV reported.
DR Meghwal, a lawyer by profession, later filed a petition in a court in Jodhpur, stating that Pandya had hurt the sentiments of a section of the society.
“We are yet to receive the orders of the court and once we get it, I will be in a position to comment,” Rajesh Yadav, SHO of Udai Mandir Thana in Jaipur, was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Meghwal, who is a member of Rashtriya Bhim Sena in Rajasthan, termed the tweet as an attempt to spread hate after mistaking it as being from Pandya’s own account.
“I learnt about Pandya’s comment through social media in January. It appeared quite derogatory for a figure like Ambedkar and was an attempt to spread hatred and create division in the society. By doing so, he has committed a serious crime and hurt the sentiments of my entire community,” Meghwal was quoted as saying by Times of India. He also demanded that Pandya face adequate punishment for his “crass act”.
Pandya hasn’t issued any statement over the matter so far. The all-rounder was part of India’s tour to South Africa where the side lost the Test series before going on to win the ODI and T20 series. He was retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the auction for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
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