Jun 05 2008
Loksatta editor’s house attacked in Thane, 7 arrested!
Maharashtra daily Loksatta’s editor Kumar Ketkar has been attacked by Shiv Sangram Sanghatana supporters in Thane on Thursday.
A group of 10-15 members calling itself the Shiv Sangram Samiti attacked his house and throw stones breaking window panes and smearing tar on the walls. The editor lives in a ground floor flat in Hundiwala House in Thane East but they escaped unhurt.
It is reported that Kumar Ketkar, a senior journalist of Loksatta had written about the government’s new proposal for a giant statue of Shivaji in the sea off the Mumbai coast which will be the mirror of Statue of Liberty in New York.
The group claims that the editorial makes insulting remarks about Shivaji and criticized political parties over this issue. He had also criticized Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil and the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party. The supporters attacked at his residence in protest of his editorial.
A complaint was filed by Ketkar and seven people have been arrested for rioting and destruction of property in this case.
“The attack was pre-planned as the activists had come armed. I strongly condemn this attack on the fourth estate,” General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Maharashtra unit Vinod Tawade told media persons.
Several other leaders from various parties, media persons, representatives of social organizations and others have rushed to the Ketkars to offer support and condemn the attack.
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