By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Jitendra Awhad, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa constituency in the Mumbai region has received a death threatening letter allegedly from an outfit calling itself as ‘Nathuram Vichar Munch’.
Awhad has lodged a police complaint in this regard against unknown people and police is investigating the matter.
Jitendra Awhad (Courtesy: Asian Age)
The letter says it firmly believes in Godse’s ideology and states: “First it was Narendra Dabholkar, then Govind Pansare, and now it will be your turn, Mr Jitendra Awhad.”
“Maharashtra is a state which believes in the ideals of Nathuram Godse, and we will prove this to you. This is our commitment. This is a pledge, not merely a letter,” it reads.
Awhad represents Mumbra-Kalwa Assembly constituency and has served as a minister for medical education in the previous government in Maharashtra.He maintains close proximity with the party chief Sharad Pawar.
Awhad received the letter, written in Marathi, at his home through post bearing purportedly name of sender as ‘Nathuram Vichar Manch’. It bore the postal stamp of Airoli node of Navi Mumbai.
The letter further reads: “Hey Nathuram Chakra Ahe. Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare… Aata number Jitendra Awhad apla ahe. Tumcha nikal lawkar lagel. Ha Maharashtra Sri Nathuram Godse vicharsaranicha ahe, he amhala patvun dyaycha ahe. Hi amchi bandhilki ahe. He patra navhe pratidnyapatra ahe. (After Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare it’s now your turn Mr. Awhad. You will be dealt with soon. We want to make you understand that this Maharashtra believes in ideology of Nathuram Godse. This is our commitment. This is not a letter but our pledge.”)
The letter also refers to gunning down of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar and veteran CPI leader Govind Pansare whose killers are still untraced and state police have so far failed to crack both the cases.
Dabholkar, 68, who spearheaded the campaign against superstitions throughout his life, was shot dead on August 20, 2013 in Pune during his morning walk by unidentified assailants.
The case is still unsolved by state police and CBI is presently investigating the matter. PTI reports that names of some right-wing outfits had initially cropped up in the investigations.
Pansare, 82, along with his wife, was fired upon by unidentified assailants near his home in Kolhapur last month. He later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in Mumbai.
Awhad, who has taken a stand against right-wing extremist groups in the past, said that this was the third threat he has received so far.
“I have received an inland letter after Comrade Pansare’s killing asking, ‘Who is third?’ I have reported it to the police who will take appropriate action. This is the third time I am getting a threat,” Awhad told Asian Age.
He said that right-wing groups had threatened him on his Facebook page after Dabholkar’s death.
“Even the police had found my photos with cross marks during an investigation earlier. This is not the first time I have received such a threat,” Awhad said. He was referring to the investigation conducted in Goa in connection with a bomb blast case from where the police recovered the photos.
He had once alleged that right wing organisations Abhinav Bharat and Sanatan Prabhat had collaborated with the ISI to kill RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He had also claimed that the BJP had tried to cover up the link between Abhinav Bharat and the Malegaon blasts.