In a dramatic turn of events early Friday, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) legislator Jitendra Awhad was dragged away by police during a late-night protest near Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai.The protest erupted after police detained Awhad’s supporter Nitin Deshmukh, who was allegedly assaulted by BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar’s aides during a scuffle inside the assembly premises a day earlier.
Awhad, known for his fiery presence in the House, staged a sit-in near the rear gate of Vidhan Bhavan around 2 am, physically blocking a police vehicle carrying Deshmukh. Accusing the authorities of bias, the MLA demanded his supporter’s release.
“This is blatant bias. My supporter, who was beaten, is being arrested, while Padalkar’s men are being protected,” Awhad alleged. “The Assembly Speaker assured me that my men would be released after proceedings, but instead, they are in custody while Padalkar’s men are being served vada pav and tobacco by the police,” he added.
पडळकर यांच्या गुंडांनी माझा कार्यकर्ता नितीन देशमुख विधानभवनात याला मारहाण केली.यानंतर मारहाण करणारे विधानभवनातून पळून गेले.शिवाय पोलिसांनी माझ्याच मार खाणाऱ्या कार्यकर्त्याला पकडलं.आणि विधानसभा सचिवांनी माझ्याच कार्यकर्त्याला पोलिस स्टेशनला नेण्याचा घाट घातला आहे.
— Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) July 17, 2025
म्हणजे मार… pic.twitter.com/U3Jfnuyzm9
The late-night standoff escalated as police used force to remove Awhad from the road, dragging him away before additional reinforcements were deployed to control the situation. Witnesses said the police also tried to discreetly shift Deshmukh in another vehicle, but Awhad intercepted and confronted them, leading to further chaos. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar was also present during the incident.
VIDEO | NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad spoke on the clash that broke out on the premises of Maharashtra legislature complex. He said, "Even MLAs are not safe inside the Assembly as BJP MLAs hurled abuses."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 17, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/nmtNPN3bjQ
The confrontation follows a violent clash inside Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday, when supporters of both leaders exchanged blows in the lobby after a heated argument. Videos of the brawl, showing men punching and being pulled apart by security personnel, have gone viral on social media.The dispute reportedly began with a verbal spat outside the assembly building on Wednesday, which spiraled into Thursday’s physical altercation involving Deshmukh and Padalkar’s aide Rishikesh Takle.Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the arrests or the alleged preferential treatment accusations.
Newsinc24 Team





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