NCP leader Jitendra Awhad arrested for stopping Marathi film's screening

Mumbai, Nov 11: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad was arrested today for stopping the screening of a Marathi film and thrashing viewers in Thane.

The incident occurred on Monday night when Awhad created a ruckus alleging that the movie distorts Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's history.

He even thrashed a person while forcefully stopping the Marathi movie Har Har Mahadev's screening.

The Thane Police registered a case against senior Nationalist Congress Party leader and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad and at least 100 others for allegedly roughing up spectators at a multiplex screening "Har Har Mahadev".

A case has been registered against Awhad on the complaint of a spectator under various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to unlawful assembly and sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 ( Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and the Maharashtra Police Act.

Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said beating up movie-goers for watching 'Har Har Mahadev' will not be tolerated and action will be taken against people involved in such incidents.

"People are permitted to register their opposition democratically. I have not seen the movie and I am not aware of the controversy," he said.

Directed by Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande, the film Har Har Mahadev presents the story of the dawn which came after 350 years. A historical reference to the formation of the Maratha empire after many battles. The film will bring the golden story of Swarajya, which is in the heart of the Marathi people.