Shiv Sena newspaper office attacked after cartoon 'mocks' Maratha protests

Mumbai, Sep 27: The Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamna on Tuesday enraged the Maratha community by publishing a cartoon that appears to poke fun at the campaign for Maratha reservations that's being organised in Maharashtra.

Samna's office in Navi Mumbai was attacked later in the day, and pro-Maratha social organisation, 'Sambhaji Brigade' claimed responsibility for the incident.

The controversial cartoon shows a man kissing a woman on the cheek. The woman is holding up a placard with the message, 'Mooka Morcha,' or 'kiss' protest. It's a pun on 'Mook Morcha' which means 'silent'protest - the kind that's happening across Maharashtra.

Police said three youths arrived at Saamna's office on Tuesday afternoon, and allegedly pelted the building with stones before fleeing, damaging two or three glasses on the outer wall. They added that an offence had been registered against the vandals and that action would be taken against them.

The spokesperson of the Sambhaji brigade, Shivanand Banuse, told PTI: "We are condemning a cartoon which was published in Saamana. Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and Saamana's executive editor Sanjay Raut must apologise to the women of Maharashtra. The attack was spontaneous and an expression of emotions of the Maratha community."

The Congress' spokesperson in Maharashtra, Sachin Sawant, has called Saamna's cartoon an insult to the Maratha community. The cartoon has also provoked angry responses on social media.

Maratha protests

In addition to asking for reservations, the protesting Marathas also want to see the Scheduled Castes Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act amended.

The law was enforced to protect members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from atrocities perpetrated by those belonging to upper castes, but there have been allegations that the legislation has been misused to file false cases against members of the Maratha community.

The protestors also asking that the accused in the Kopardi case - in which a 15-year old Maratha girl from Kopardi was brutally raped and murdered - be given the death penalty.