AMN /
The Congress today criticised Shiv Sena, an ally of BJP, for smearing black ink on the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni. Talking to media in New Delhi Monday morning, party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said, Maharashtra Chief Minister should take strict action against those fringe elements who indulged in the shameful act.
He said, attempts are being in the country to censor art and intellectuals.
The spokesperson said, people of Maharashtra will teach a lesson to Shiv Sena if the party continues to behave undemocratically.
Senior BJP leader L. K Advani also strongly condemned Shiv Sena’s act of smearing black paint on Sudheendra Kulkarni’s face.
Talking to the reporters, Mr Advani said says there must be place for a different point of view in democracy.
He said, these kind of incidents is not good for the democracy. He also said the people should ensure tolerance and those people who are partner with BJP should not indulge in these kind of incidents.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena activists allegedly smeared black ink on the face of ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch in Mumbai.
Kulkarni alleged that Shiv Sena activists threw ink at him and smeared his face, adding they also abused him.
He said that his Observer and Research Foundation (ORF), a foreign policy think-tank, will hold Kasuri’s book launch as planned later today.
The organiser said they won’t be cowed down by such events and the book launch will happen as planned.
Maharashtra’s Home department, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had, however, assured the organiser of full security.
Meanwhile, reacting to the ink attack on Kulkarni, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said smearing ink is a very mild form of democratic protest.
Kasuri is scheduled to attend the launch of his book ‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy’ in Mumbai.
Sena had demanded that the event be scrapped and had threatened to disrupt it.
The Shiv Sena had earlier threatened to disrupt Ghulam Ali’s concerts, leading to cancellation of the Pakistani ghazal singer’s events in Mumbai and Pune recently.