Saamana cartoon controversy: FIR against Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut after Marathi daily mocks Maratha agitation

The cartoon which was first published in Saamna's Sunday edition drew immense flak from senior Shiv Sena leaders, political parties and even BJP ally.

Mumbai, September 28: Two days after a controversial cartoon published in Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana, a FIR has been registered against party chief Uddhav Thackeray, executive editor Sanjay Raut, cartoonist Ravindra Prabhudesai and printer and publisher Rajendra Bhagwat. According to reports, the complainant in the case is advocate Vishnu Navale who filed a police complaint. The case has been filed in Nanal Peth police station, Parbhani, Marathwada region, under IPC Sections 153 A, 292, 505, 500, and 109. The cartoon which was first published in Saamana’s Sunday edition drew immense flak from senior Shiv Sena leaders, political parties, and even BJP ally. The cartoon puts Shiv Sena on the back foot as the party is already mum on the ongoing agitation.

After the cartoon was published in Saamana tremors were felt in Buldhana district in Maharashtra when a handful of its senior leaders upset with the cartoon had threatened to resign from the party. The cartoon that has shaken the party was three-paneled caricature showing different types of protesters, including a man kissing a woman – playing on the words ‘muk morcha’ (silent protest) as ‘muka morcha’ (kissing protest).
Soon after the controversy erupted Sena leaders – Prataprao Jadhav, Sanjay Raimulkar and Shashikant Khedkar – from Buldhana met Sena ministers Eknath Shinde to express their anger and discontent with the cartoon. The three leaders even offer to resign over the ongoing controversy. Also Read – Saamana cartoonist says sorry for hurting Maratha sentiments

The party also faced violent protest, as stones were pelted at a Saamana office in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. A few protesters agitated with the cartoon threw ink on the publication’s office in Thane district. While on Monday protesters burnt copies of the publication outside cartoonist’s home in Vile Parle. The cartoon has hurt the sentiments of the Maratha community and some even went a step ahead and declared Shiv Sen as an anti-Maratha party Leader of opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, called the cartoon highly offensive and demanded an apology from Thackeray.

After the controversy unfolded leader of opposition raised several questions against Sena and its agenda. Congress leader reportedly said, “The cartoon raises severe questions on the motives of women participating in the protests. We knew that Sena is an anti-Muslim party and anti-Dalit part but after this controversial cartoon, we now know that it is also an anti-Maratha party”.

Shiv Sena, which has its mouthpiece Saamana used by its leaders to spur venomous remarks every morning is in a damage-control mode. On Monday Saamana carried out a front-page news article about the Marathi Kranti Morcha, condemning the protests against the cartoon in a press conference in Thane. Next to the main article Saamana published a column saying there was no question of the party hurting the feelings of Maratha community. Member of Parliament and Saamana’s executive editor Sanjay Raut, wrote that the Saamana column said the Maratha protests are not political, but sentimental, and there is no question of hurting the sentiments that Shiv Sena is in support of.

The Marathas are carrying out protest and silent marches across the state following a rape and murder incident in the state, in which the victim was a member from Maratha community. I coming days some more such rallies are also planned in the state in the coming days. The Saamana newspaper is a Marathi-language newspaper published in Maharashtra and was launched by Bal Thackeray. Until his death, the paper was edited by him and after his death, Uddhav Thackeray was named as an editor-in-chief of both dailies.