'Not my interpretation': Under fire, Jitendra Awhad cites research paper to defend his Lord Ram remarks

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad, who has stoked a controversy with his claim that Lord Ram was non-vegetarian, on Thursday cited a research paper on Valmiki Ramayana by IIT Kanpur to defend his remark. This, even as he expressed regrets over his remarks."It is not my job to distort history. I have not made any statement without studying the matter, but these days emotions get much more importance than scholarship. I express regret if my remarks have hurt anyone," Awhad said amid a severe backlash over his comments.