Mumbai: Shiv Sena men on Monday gheraoed former BJP leader Sudheerndra Kulkarni and painted him with black ink for his insistence on organising Mumbai launch of a book written by former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri amid threats from Shiv Sena.
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The Sena has termed the attack as a “mild” one and warned that until the “message is received” such attacks will keep on happening. But Sena Spokesperson Sanjay Raut stated, “This is not paint, this is the blood of our soldiers”. He should feel ashamed for siding with Pakistan’s “chamchas”.
The incident took place hours before the launch of Kasuri’s book in Mumbai when Kulkarni, who rejected the Shiv Sena’s demand to cancel the event, was attacked with black paint. “Around 10-15 activists of Shiv Sena gheraoed me today morning outside my home”.
The Sion police say that those persons behind the incident have been identified and cases lodged against them. On Sunday night, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Chairman of Observer and Research Foundation, met Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence Matoshree.
Kasuri will launch the book “Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy”, on October 12 at the Hall of Culture, Nehru Centre, Worli.
The hostility between Pakistan and India dates back seven decades, and the two countries have fought three wars. This was hailed as the most promising dialogue between Pakistan and India since Independence.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured full security to former Pakistan minister’s book launch but added that anti-India propaganda will not be tolerated. And they don’t intimidate me.
“Despite the Chief Minister’s so called assurance of protection, Kulkarni was attacked outside his house and his face was blackened”.
Mumbai is the capital of western Maharashtra state, which is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in coalition with Shiv Sena. “It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that something like this does not happen”, she said.
“If the BJP cannot even protect its own people there is little hope that they can safeguard the lives of the citizens”.
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