A special court in Jodhpur has directed the police to register a First Information Report against cricketer Hardik Pandya for allegedly posting a derogatory tweet about Dr BR Ambedkar, theTimes of India reported.
The petition against Pandya was filed by DR Meghwal, who claimed to be a member of the Rashtriya Bhim Sena. According to Meghwal’s complaint, on December 26, 2017, Pandya had posted a tweet that “insulted Ambedkar and hurt the sentiments of the people of his community”, the report stated.
Pandya allegedly wrote, “Which Ambedkar? The one who drafted a cross law and constitution or the one who spread the disease called reservation in the country.” The tweet is not visible on Pandya’s timeline. An NDTV report claimed that the offensive tweet was posted from a parody account of the cricketer.
Meghwal, an advocate by profession, was quoted as saying, “I learnt about Pandya’s comment through social media in January. It appeared quite derogatory for a figure like Ambedkar and was an attempt to spread hatred and create division in the society.”
He added, “By doing so, he has committed a serious crime and hurt the sentiments of my entire community.”
Pandya has not yet responded to the court order.
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