Have utmost respect for Ambedkar: Pandya refutes derogatory tweet charge

Cricketer Hardik Pandya on Thursday refuted the allegations that he had made derogatory and insulting comments on Twitter, claiming that the tweet in question was posted by a fake account using his name and display image.

In a clarification after a court's direction to file a case against him following a petition accusing him of negative comments against the architect of Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, Pandya said he had utmost respect for Ambedkar, the Indian Constitution and the many communities that call India their home.

"I would not indulge in making any statement which is derogatory and/or which insults the sentiments of any community," he said in a statement on Thursday.

"I use only my verified Twitter handle to make official communications via Twitter and the said tweet was posted by a spurious account, pretending to be me," he further said.

It may be recalled that a special court for SC/ST here had directed the police to file a case against Pandya after an advocate of Jodhpur, D R Meghwal, filed a complaint in the court against Pandya following a comment against Ambedkar on his Twitter account, which was actually a parody account, being used by somebody else.

The comment read, "which Ambedkar??? The one who drafted a cross law and Constitution or the one who spread a disease called reservation."

Offended by the comment, Meghwal approached the police to file a complaint against him failing which, he moved the court praying for direction to the police to file a case against Pandya for hurting the sentiments of his followers and insulting a personality like Ambedkar.

When brought to his notice, Meghwal said if somebody else had made this comment faking Pandya's account, then he should be identified and punished for misusing social media and humiliating a national figure.