Somaiya claims arrest by cops; Awhad alleges threat on twitter

Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya on Wednesday claimed that he was arrested by the police while trying to meet a man who was allegedly beaten up by some men associated with state Housing minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad on Sunday.

As politics played out over the incident, the BJP stated that the Shiv Sena-led state government seemed to have ample time to "arrest" Somaiya who wanted to meet the victim, but has no time to trace the members of Tablighi Jamaat who returned after attending a religious congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz last month.

The religious congregation had emerged as a prime catalyst for the spread of coronavirus infection across the country. Meanwhile, in a fresh twist, Awhad has shared a social media message which has threatened to kill him "like (Narendra) Dabholkar".

In an official tweet from @BJP4Maharashtra, the party said, "Maharashtra government seems to have no time in finding out the members of Tablighi Jamaat who returned from the markaz at New Delhi but it has ample time to arrest BJP leader Kirit Somaiya who wanted to help a common man.

The BJP has also twitted NCP chief Sharad Pawar's earlier statement where he had stressed the need to amend the IT Act, 2000 to nail the actual culprits and initiate preventive action against those instigating violence in the name of religion, castes or regional fanaticism. The Opposition party wondered whether "Sharad Pawar has designated his confidant Jitendra Awhad to bring former's ambitious mission of controllingthe social media".

Earlier in the day, Somaiya claimed that Mumbai Police arrested him from his residence in Mumbai as he was planning to visit Anant Karmuse, who was allegedly beaten up by men associated with Awhad at the latter's bungalow for posting a morphed photo."Police has arrested me from my residential premises/Office from Nilam Nagar Mulund, and now taken to Mulund East navghar police station," Somaiya twitted from his handle @KiritSomaiya. Earlier, he said that he was being detained at his residence.

"It is pity that Mumbai police has detained me at my residential premises (Nilamnagar Mulund) and stopped me from going to the residence of Anant Karmuse, whom Jitendra Awhad's men has beaten yesterday, I am supposed to meet Anant Karmuse today at 11 am," he said.

Meanwhile, Awhad tweeted screen shots in which some users have allegedly threatened to kill him "like Dabholkar". Anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar was killed while he was on a morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013. In another screenshot the NCP leader shared, a user allegedly threatened to sexually abuse his daughter.

In his post, the minister said such comments arebeing made against him since the last five years and that some users even targeted his family members, but he did not speak about it.

Tagging Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Awhad also said he shared the screenshots only for the common people's information and that he did not want anyone's sympathy.

"Sharing these (screenshots) so that the common people know about it. @OfficeofUT @AnilDeshmukhNCP I don't need anyone's sympathy," Awhad tweeted. The 40-year-old man had alleged that some "policemen" took him to Awhad's bungalow in Thane where the minister's men thrashed him on Sunday. In his complaint, the victim also alleged that he was beaten with a bamboo stick and belt in front of the minister.

READ: Mumbai Man Allegedly Thrashed At Maha Minister Awhad’s Bungalow For Posting Morphed Photo