Nashik: Sena leader booked for 'objectionable' statements about Ram, Krishna

Police in Maharashtrarsquos Nashik has booked Shiv Sena UBT leader Sushma Andhare for allegedly making objectionable statements about Lord Ram and Lord Krishna a police official said on ThursdayThe case under section 295A outraging religious feelings of the Indian Penal Code was filed on the complaint of local resident Aman Pardeshi the Malegaon taluka police station official saidAs per the complainant Andhare had made such remarks in an interview with a television channel the official told newswire PTIMeanwhile amid the saffron fury and street protests over his claim that Lord Ram was nonvegetarian Nationalist Congress Party NCP leader Jitendra Awhad sought to defend his remark citing a research paper on Valmiki Ramayana by IIT KanpurHowever he also sought forgiveness from the people saying he regretted his remarks if they hurt anyones sentimentsAn NCP oldtimer and a key aide of the party patriarch Sharad Pawar Awhad insisted that he did not put forward his own interpretation in the matter but based his opinion on an authentic version of Valmiki RamayanaAlso read Gyanvapi mosque case Varanasi court to rule Friday on making ASI survey report publicSpeaking at a press conference in Mumbai Awhad pointed to the extensive research conducted by IIT Kanpur on this version of the RamayanaLook I am telling you I did not bring my own interpretation or views into it I did not incorporate any ideas of my own I based my opinion on whatever is written in Valmiki Ramayana the NCP leader stoutly defending his position in the face of a firestorm of protest from the BJP and the countrys seer communityHowever saying he regretted his remarks if they hurt public sentiments the NCP leader said I do express regret if my words offended someones feelings I did not wish to hurt anyones sentimentsStressing that he did not alter or misinterpret the Valmiki Ramayana which was scripted eons back Awhad outlined the six khands chapters of the ancient text Balakand Ayodhyakand Aranyakand Kishkindakhand Sunderkand and YudhkandValmiki Ramayana has six khands What does the 120th verse of the Ayodhya khand say My remarks were based on the verses from Valmiki Ramayana Please read the Valmiki Ramayana and you will know for yourself the NCP leader saidI have an authentic version of the Ramayana which was written eighteen hundred years ago This book was printed in Kolkata in 1891 IIT Kanpur has even published a research paper on it And what I said is already in the public domain the NCP leader addedHe asserted that his words were a reflection of the ideas and principles that he holds dear reiterating however that he did not intend to offend anyones sentimentsOn the complaint filed against him in Maharashtra Awhad said Let a case be filed against me here US or anywhere else I dont fear cases I stick to my words and practise what I preach I am not in the habit of saying things I dont mean With inputs from agencies