Maratha group attacks 'Loksatta' editor's house over Shivaji editorial

The house of Loksatta editor Kumar Ketkar was attacked in Thane on Thursday morning by a pro-NCP group Shivsangram Sangathan protesting Ketkar editorial criticising the Maharashtra government's plans to erect a statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji.

The activists pelted stones damaging windowpanes of Ketkar's house and also tried to ransack it. Ketkar and his wife were in the house when the attack took place at around 10:30 a.m. They burnt the copies of Loksatta and smeared black paint at the entrance door of the house, police said.

Ketkar, according to a CNN-IBN report, said, "My article was about asking why spend money on erecting a statue of Shivaji in the Arabian Sea. Why not spend that money elsewhere for public welfare. I'm okay, but things could have been worst. Loksatta and the Indian Express stand for Journalism of Courage and we stand by it." The state government is planning to install a 309-feet statue of Shivaji one kilometre into the Arabian Sea off Marine Drive.

Some backgrounders:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil revealed that seven people have been arrested and charged for attack on Ketkar's residence.

On Wednesday, Ketkar had penned a scathing article on political parties in Maharashtra, especially the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government's proposal to erect a Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea.

Ketkar said that all state parties have been trying to gain political mileage by making Shivaji their corporate copyright. He further wrote that especially when the state has a low rate of economic and industrial progress, they should not proudly term the governance as Shiv Shahi or the rule of Shivaji

President of Shivsangram Sangthan Vinayak Mete justified the attack on Ketkar's house. "Chattrapati Shivaji was a great man not only in Maharashtra but of the nation. There should be his memorial in the middle of sea. We are trying this for 20 years. Deshmukh (Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh) has given him the due respect and has finalised everything. We are proud of this. Despite this Kumarji said very offensive words for him. Hence we are angry," Mete, a former MLC of NCP, said.

The Hindu had some other details:

Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil condemned the attack and promised stern action against the perpetrators. He said that seven persons were arrested . Mr. Patil denied that his party supported the attack in any way and said that the position of the people involved and their parties would not come in the way of his resolve to take action against them.

The editorial titled ‘Avatarli Shiv Shahi’ (Shivaji’s rule born) was not against the warrior king but the present government, he said. “It was indeed sarcastic but not provocative and even Shivaji would not have approved of the government’s move to spend hundreds of crores of rupees on the statue when farmers were committing suicides and children were dying of malnutrition.”

Mr. Mete defended the action of his supporters. He told a local TV channel that the editorial was certainly in bad taste and even attached Shivaji’s name to wine and liquor and such references were provocative. All political parties issued statements condemning the attack.

 
 
Date Posted: 6 June 2008 Last Modified: 6 June 2008