BJP condemns ink attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni

New Delhi:Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today disapproved of Shiv Sena activists smearing black paint on Sudheendra Kulkarni saying everyone has the freedom to protest but not physically harm anyone. Kulkarni met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday night in a bid to get his backing for the book launch.

The Shiv Sena, a junior partner in a ruling coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Maharashtra government, was last week accused of using threats to force the cancellation of an appearance in Mumbai by the renowned Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali. “This shows your resolve, our resolve and common resolve, the resolve of millions of Mumbaikars to defend the values of tolerance and diversity”, Kulkarni said in his opening remarks at the event held in the evening at Nehru Centre in Mumbai. “We have been assured full security and assistance by the police”.

“I thank the CM of Maharashtra who provided me extensive security from the time I landed in the city”, said Kasuri, who had the last laugh.

The hardline Sena group says it will not allow Kasuri’s book launch as any engagement with Pakistan is unacceptable.

“I strongly condemn whosoever has done it…” Recognising the right of people to protest, he said as long as the protest was peaceful, it was justified but that what happened to Kulkarni was beyond that.

Shiv Sena, however, defended the action with party MP Sanjay Raut terming it as a “very mild form” of protest.

Kulkarni condemned the incident as an “assault on democracy” as he addressed the media in Mumbai, his face and hair covered in ink.

The attack drew sharp condemnation from parties, with Congress saying that “the idea of India as the most liberal democratic country, despite all our neighbours having gone the other way, is being destroyed in the root”. “But this doesn’t mean that we endorse all views expressed in the program”, Fadnavis said.

Citing the neighbouring country’s support to terrorism as the reason behind the opposition, the party warned that the function will be disrupted if not canceled.

The senior Congress leader asserted that such “intolerance” in India can’t be tolerated.

Kulkarni meanwhile went ahead with a press conference, his face still blackened and with Kasuri by his side, promising that the book release function would take place.