Bombay HC Issues Notice To State, DGP On NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad’s Plea To Consolidate FIRs Over Dr BR Ambedkar Photograph Incident

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the State government and the Director General of Police on a plea filed by NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad seeking clubbing of cases filed against him.

At least three First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against Awhad for allegedly tearing the photograph of Dr BR Ambedkar while staging a protest against the Maharashtra government's decision to include Manu Smriti's controversial writings in the syllabus of the primary schools.

Two FIRs are filed against him at the Mahad Police Station in Raigad district and one FIR been registered with the Bundgarden Police Station in Pune. He is booked for allegedly disturbing the peace and harmony in the society.

The MLA claimed that writings in question have already been criticised by prominent leaders in India. Awhad held agitation on May 29 near the Chavdar lake in Mahad, where he claimed Dr Ambedkar held a protest to get the right of the marginalised section of the society to drink water from common places.

During the protests, the petitioner (Awhad) tore the disputed writings and along with it, unknowingly and accidentally, tore a photo of Dr Ambedkar. He claimed that he was under the belief that the papers he was tearing were actually the disputed writings. However, by creating an impression that the petitioner intentionally wanted to disturb the peace and harmony in the society, at least 3 FIRs were lodged against him, the plea added.

His plea contended that soon after the decision was criticised by various members of the society, the government decided not to proceed with its proposal of inclusion of the controversial writings in the syllabus. A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan issued notices and kept the matter for hearing after two weeks.