Uddhav Thackeray apologises for Saamna cartoon mocking Maratha Mook Morcha

The cartoon first published in 'Saamana' depicts a "Mook Morcha" (silent army) while tweaking the words to "Mooka Morcha" (kiss rally).

Mumbai, October 1: After huge controversy erupted over a cartoon published by Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, party chief Uddhav Thackeray today apologised for hurting sentiments of Maratha people carrying out state-wide agitation. I a press conference chaired by Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai the Sena supremo said, “I apologise for the cartoon (on Maratha rally) made in Saamana paper”.

The apology which is yet to be accepted by leaders of Maratha agitation is followed after a FIR was registered against ‘Saamana’ tabloid and its editor-in-chief Uddhav Thackeray including executive editor Sanjay Raut. The cartoon first published in ‘Saamana’ depicts a “Mook Morcha” (silent army) while tweaking the words to “Mooka Morcha” (kiss rally). After the cartoon was published senior Sena leader were flaked from various political parties for dark humour. The anger was so much that some of Sena’s party leader were ready to quit from the party. On Tuesday, activists from pro-Maratha organisation Sambhaji brigade even stoned ‘Saamna’s’ office in Navi Mumbai.

Advocate Vishnu Navale on Wednesday filed a FIR against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, executive editor Sanjay Raut, cartoonist Ravindra Prabhudesai and printer and publisher of ‘Saamana’, Rajendra Bhagwat. The FIR was registered at Nanal Peth police station under IPC sections 153 A, 292, 505, 500, and 109. Also Read – Saamana cartoon controversy: FIR against Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut after Marathi daily mocks Maratha agitation

After the controversial cartoon was published in ‘Saamana’ Sena leaders like Prataprao Jadhav, Member of Parliament from Sena, Sanjay Raimulkar and Shashikant Khedkar both MLAs from Buldhana met party leader Eknath Shinde to express their anger and discontent with the cartoon. The trio leaders even offered their resignation over the controversy.

Earlier this week 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. Leaders of opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, called the cartoon highly offensive and demanded an apology from Thackeray.

On the other side, politics started flourishing over the cartoon controversy. Earlier Congress cornered Uddhav Thackeray for not tendering an apology over the entire issue. The leaders of Congress said, that by not tendering an apology Uddhav Thackeray was evading responsibility on a serious issue. Congress leader reportedly said, “The cartoon raises several questions against Sena 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 and its leaders had always used ‘Saamana’ to spur venomous remarks on various issues every morning but this is the first time when the editorial decision made by Saamna had backfired and led to the apology of its editor in chief.

Since August 9, Maratha community from different districts in Maharashtra has bee carrying out silent protests. Through these protests, the Maratha agitators have demanded — reservation in job and education sector for the members of the community, a re-investigation at the Atrocities Act and stringent punishment for those involved in the brutal rape and murder of a 17-year-old Maratha girl in Khopardi, Ahmednagar.