Attack on Navy veteran puts Maharashtra government in a spot

The attack on an Indian Navy veteran by Shiv Sena workers for a WhatsApp forward has caused the Maha Vikas Aghadi government a major embarrassment yet again.

The WhatsApp message had a cartoon mocking Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who was shown bowing before Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP founder Sharad Pawar.

Incidentally, Uddhav’s father and late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was himself a cartoonist and founder of Marmik, Saamana and Dopahar ka Saamana.

On Friday evening, a group of Shiv Sainiks manhandled Madan Sharma (65), a Navy veteran and a resident of Lokhandwala Complex in Kandivali East. A CCTV clip of the society complex posted by local BJP MLA Atul Bhatkalkar shows the attackers chasing Sharma, dragging him by the collar, pulling his shirt and attacking him.

Sharma had to be taken to hospital for treatment. Later, in a significant development, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Sharma.

“Spoke to retired naval officer, Madan Sharma who was attacked by hooligans in Mumbai and enquired about his health. Such attacks on ex-servicemen are completely unacceptable and deplorable. I wish Madan ji a speedy recovery,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sharma said: “In our country, everyone has the freedom to express and WhatsApp is a medium to stay connected and share the news. The government should take steps to identify the source of a message, from where did it generate."

Brig (retd) Sudhir Sawant, the president of Sainik Federation, said that on Sunday a web meeting would be held to discuss the future course of action. “What has happened is highly condemnable,” he said, adding that he would take up the issue and take it to a logical conclusion.

Meanwhile, the Samata Nagar police station arrested four persons including Shiv Sena’s shakha pramukh Kamlesh Kadam. On Friday, Kadam and three others named Sanjay Manjare, Rakesh Belvekar and Pratap Soond were granted bail.

“They have been booked for unlawful assembly and rioting,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (North) Dilip Sawant.

Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition in Assembly and ex-chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar have launched a scathing attack on the government.

“It is an extremely sad and shocking incident. A Navy veteran got beaten up by goons because of just a WhatsApp forward…please stop this goonda raj,” Fadnavis said and urged Thackeray for strong punishment.

“They should not have got bail, the police made a weak case,” added Darekar.

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has tweeted "shame..." on the incident.

Actor and activist Swara Bhaskar said: “The attack on an elderly gentleman by the Shiv Sena for a joke on Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is shocking, shameful & utterly condemnable. Violence of this kind has no place in a civilised democracy & you cannot claim good governance if basic law & order isn’t maintained. Shame!.”

In a tweet, Preity Zinta said: “Goons in Mumbai beat a 62-year-old retired Indian Navy veteran black and blue because he forwarded a political cartoon on WhatsApp. Seriously? What happened to freedom of speech? What happened to respecting our veterans? Very upset and sad to hear this. This is not ok.”