Awhad arrives at state assembly in handcuffs, raises US deportation issue

The Nationalist Congress Party NCP SP MLA Jitendra Awhad arrived in handcuffs at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai on the first day of the Maharashtra Budget Session 2025 on Monday reported the PTIThe former state minister criticised the way undocumented Indians were treated by American authorities during their deportation and highlighted growing attack on freedom of expressionSpeaking to reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in south Mumbai Jitendra Awhad said There is a growing attack on freedom of expression in this country Activists and individuals who speak out are being silenced by implicating them in criminal cases Our constitutional right to express ourselves is under threat Freedom of speech is a fundamental right and everyone must be able to speak according to the PTIThe opposition MLA criticised visa policies of the US alleging they have destroyed the lives of many IndiansThe restrictive visa rules are breaking families apart Recently we witnessed Indian immigrants being deported in large numbers crammed into planes shackled and treated like criminals Many of them were forced to endure long flights without proper restroom facilities and on empty stomachs This is an inhuman act and insulting to our people Several families from Maharashtra were affected and dreams of young Indians aspiring to build a future in America were shattered he said as per the PTIJitendra Awhad warned that failing to speak up against such injustices would be detrimental to IndiaIf we remain silent about the injustices faced by our fellow Indians abroad it will set a dangerous precedent America will continue to exploit and mistreat us I have worn these shackles as a symbolic protest to highlight the suffering of our brothers and sisters in the US I urge every Indian to raise their voice against these human rights violations he asserted the news agency reportedReplying to questions Jitendra Awhad said that it has been proved that Walmik Karad a close aide of state minister Dhananjay Munde is an accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder caseAre there morals and ethics left when your close aide is cruel and inhuman he asked hitting out at MundeMassajog village sarpanch Deshmukh was abducted and brutally killed on December 9 last year in Beed district when he tried to stop an extortion bid on an energy companyReacting to Jitendra Awhads act of coming to the Vidhan Bhavan complex in handcuffs ruling NCPs state spokesperson Anand Paranjpe said it was nothing but a stuntNCP SP MPs should protest in the Lok Sabha to highlight a foreign policy issue he saidThe spokesperson wondered how can Jitendra Awhad say there was no freedom of expression when he is regularly covered in the mediaSuch a stunt is unfortunate During the protest not a single MLA of his party was present he maintained the news agency reportedwith PTI inputs