Saamana offices attacked in Mumbai

The office of Shiv Sena-owned newspaper Saamana was attacked in Sanpada in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai after a controversy broke out over a cartoon it published on the silent Maratha marches. Saamana office in Naupada in Thane was also reportedly attacked with ink, prompting police to beef up security across the newspaper’s offices.

The cartoon played with the word mook morcha (silent rallies) and replaced it with ‘muk morcha’ or kissing rally. It even portrayed a couple kissing in the middle of the protest. Unidentified men hurled stones at the newspaper’s office in Sanpada and shattered a couple of glass panes.

Speaking on the incident, Navi Mumbai police chief Hemant Nagrale said: “An incident of stone pelting was reported at Saamana office, Sanpada, where 2-3 windows have been damaged. An offence is being registered against the culprits. Investigations will be conducted and appropriate action will be taken against the accused.”

BJP targeted the Sena’s leadership over the incident. “The Executive Editor had hurt the sentiments of the Maratha community and there should be an apology,” Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ashish Shelar tweeted.

Pro-Maratha outfit Sambhaji Brigade claimed responsibility for the attacks. “Uddhav Thackeray must apologise for the cartoon,” Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said.

“It has insulted Maratha community, women, youths, policemen," Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said.