‘Judicial decisions smell of casteism’: NCP leader Jitendra Awhad

Awhad sparked another controversy earlier this month by referring to Lord Rama as a meat eater.

Published on: Jan 17, 2024, 14:16:16 IST

By HT News Desk

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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad on Wednesday sparked a controversy saying some judicial decisions in the country “smell of casteism”.

“I feel sad even today…Babasaheb Ambedkar should have kept reservations in the judicial system as well. By not giving reservation in the judiciary system, injustice was done to 80 percent of the society…Some judicial decisions come in a way that they immediately smell of casteism…This is not expected from the judiciary,” Awhad said while addressing an event at the Samata Parishad organised by the NCP in Nagpur.

“…The decisions should be unbiased, they should be outside the caste system, such is the expectation of the Constitution, but does this happen?” he questioned.

The NCP leader further said, “Bahujan people are starting to appear in the Bar Council now…Their generations are not educated…They used to go to bars,” as quoted by the media.

Meanwhile, Awhad sparked another controversy earlier this month by referring to Lord Rama as a meat eater. "We don’t read history and forget everything in politics. Ram is ours. Of us Bahujans. Who used to hunt to eat… Ram was never a vegetarian. He was a non-vegetarian. How can a man who lived in the jungle for 14 years remain a vegetarian,” he said during a speech in Shirdi.

Following his remarks, multiple FIRs have been filed against the NCP leader for hurting religious sentiments. Based on the complaints across several police stations, they have booked Awhad under section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Awhad's comment came at a time when the country is awaiting the grand consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

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