Mumbai: In a shocking incident, the car in which NCP (SP) MLA Dr Jitendra Awhad was travelling was attacked while he was on his way from Mumbai to Thane by workers and activists of Swaraj, an organisation founded by Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendent of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and social reformer Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.
Dr Awhad is a close aide of NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar.
Activists began raising slogans like ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai’ and ‘Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Ki Jai’ while pelting stones. They also hit the glass panes with sticks when he was proceeding to his home in Thane.
Later, the Swarajya general secretary Dhananjay Jadhav claimed responsibility for the attack and demanded that Dr Awhad apologise for his statements against Sambhaji Chhatrapati.
It may be mentioned, Sambhaji Chhatrapati’s father Shahu Chhatrapati is the Kolhapur MP of the Congress party.
Pawar, NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule and other opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders have strongly condemned the attack.
"If Sambhaji Chhatrapati is a descendant by birth, I am the descendant by ideology," Awhad had said earlier while referring to the Vishalgad incident and said that his father and Kolhapur MP was unhappy with what had happened.