NCP-Sharad Pawar faction leader Jitendra Awhad on January 04 expressed regret over his statement that Lord Rama was not a vegetarian. Jitendra Awhad said, "I express regret. I did not want to hurt anyone`s sentiments." In a speech, Jitendra Awhad claimed that `Lord Ram was non-vegetarian`. On Wednesday, addressing party workers in Shirdi, Awhad said, “We don’t read history and forget everything in politics. Ram is ours. Of us Bahujans. Who used to hunt to eat… Ram was never a vegetarian. He was a non-vegetarian. How can a man who lived in the jungle for 14 years remain a vegetarian?” Soon after the `Lord Ram was non-vegetarian` remark went viral, there were protests against the leader.