On Monday, Sena activists threw black paint on Mr Kulkarni, who had refused to call off former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch.
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Shiv Sena’s spokesman described the incident as a “non-violent protest”. “This attack is not just an insult to me but an insult to the President of India”, he said.
Alleged Shiv Sena activists had smeared black ink on the face of the Observer Research Foundation chief earlier right now.
Speaking to a news channel, Kulkarni said that they abused him and shouted slogans.
According to sources, following the intervention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fednavis, Sena has decided not to stage any disruptive activity during the release of Kasuri’s book in the Maharashtra’s capital.
According to an NDTV report, the Shiv Sena would contest all 122 seats of the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal elections on its own. “Nobody can foretell how public anger will explode”, Raut said. “I have been invited here, and I won’t let down the people who have invited me”. In the letter, the reason had been stated as Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism activities in India.
Later during the book launch, Kulkarni said: “Our freedom fighters did not dream of a partition”.
Despite the threats and the brazen ink attack on Kulkarni, Kasuri’s book launch went ahead as per schedule without any glitch.
In Delhi, veteran BJP leader and former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani, with whom Mr. Kulkarni was closely associated, expressed concern over the growing number of such incidents of intolerance in the country. While addressing a press conference Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “We haven’t stopped protesting against Pakistan”.
On the occasion, Kulkarni said, “Despite Ghulam Ali’s concert being cancelled, Kasuri has come for the book launch and I welcome him”.
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The launch of Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book “Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy” later passed in the western Indian city without incident.
