MUMBAI: In a major climb down,
shiv Sena leader
Uddhav Thackeray has publicly apologized for printing a cartoon in his party's mouthpiece newspaper
Samana, ridiculing the statewide silent protests by the Maratha community.
Thackeray while addressing a press conference on Saturday said that there was no way that he or his party will purposely do something to insult the women of the state.
Samana, the paper mouthpiece of Shiv Sena had printed a cartoon lampooning the protests, the cartoon has called the protest mooka morcha (kissing rally) instead of Mook morcha (silent rally) and has shown a couple kissing.
Following uproar from the Maratha community including some prominent leaders in the state, Thackeray has apologised.
Meanwhile, to reinstate his stand on the issue, Thackeray has demanded that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis call for a one day assembly session to discuss issues regarding the backward Maratha community.
"Calling for an assembly session will give the assurances some legal framework and then the government will have to do what it says," said Thackeray.
He also said that even as Fadnavis has agreed to give reservation to the community, he must declare a date, because mere assurances will not do any more.