NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) leader Jitendra Awhad has repeatedly displayed his love for Islamists. A video of Awhad making uninformed remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has been doing the rounds of social media (SM).
“Shivaji Maharaj is there only because Aurangzeb, Afzal Khan, and Shaista Khan were there”, he is seen remarking.
After facing backlash on SM, Awhad justified his stance in a tweet where he equated Ravan Duryodhan, Karn, with the Adil Shahis and Mughals while adding if people could explain the existence of Prabhu Sri Ram, Sri Krishna-Arjun, and Shivray without the existence of the aforementioned. He even questioned the Bharat freedom struggle without the British.
While on the face of it, this sounds like an ‘intellectual’ argument, what Awhad has attempted is to glorify Islamists by belittling Shivray’s work and drawing false equivalences with Hindu Granthas to justify his pro-Mughal stance. This is how secular parties and leaders shift goalposts after being called out.
The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) undertook protests against the NCP leader at various places in the state. BJP and their alliance partner Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) demanded an apology from Awhad. Political analysts believe the NCP leader’s statement will only add to the woes of the party. Shinde Faction spokesperson Naresh Mhaske said that Awhad has insulted Hindutva and added that he had lost his mental balance as many corporators from Mumbra and Kalwa have left NCP. Mhaske also asked Uddhav Thackeray to specify his stance on the NCP leader’s statement.
BJP workers protested in Jalna while Jalna OBC Morcha Zilla President announced prize money of 10 lakhs rupees to one who would cut off the NCP leader’s tongue. The BJP workers set fire to an effigy of Awhad and raised slogans against the NCP.
Earlier, Awhad, notorious for minority appeasement and hooliganism against those who oppose him, came up with a new secular gem. He opined that Aurangzeb was not a Hindu hater even though he was cruel. He was defending his party colleague Ajit Pawar who had said that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was not a Dharamveer.
Hinduism is a great religion. One can speak of it like all other religions. Anybody can write a book on Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, if he/she likes to do so. And in doing so the author may glorify the ethics, ideologies, and teachings of Hindusim , there is nothing wrong in it if some human characters get into it. Glorifying Hinduism does not mean it brings disgrace or humiliates other religions. Freedom of expression must be given a chance to stay.