Journalists including women beaten up, property damaged
In a shocking incident threatening the media’s freedom of speech and expression in Maharashtra, a group of Shiv Sainiks on Friday led an outrageous attack on the offices of leading news channels IBN Lokmat and IBN7 in Mumbai and Pune. With sticks, they vandalised the offices and beat up journalists, including women.
Praveen Mudholkar, Associate Editor of the leading Marathi channel IBN Lokmat said in a statement, “The first attack was in Mumbai, where around 15 Sena activists barged into the office at Vikhroli and started beating up journalists. They also damaged property. Five of the attackers were nabbed by the staffers and beaten up.
“The second attack was on IBN’s office in Pune, which was ransacked. Suspected Sena workers were pelting stones in Pune. In yet another incident an IBN outdoor broadcast van was also attacked.”
Five people sustained minor injuries in the attack.
Nikhil Wagle, head of IBN Lokmat, was one of the targets of the attacks. Wagle is known for his outspoken views against the Sena’s politics.
Speaking about his attack on television, Mr. Wagle said, “I don’t know why they have targeted us. The Sena is a divided party taking out its frustration [for electoral losses]. The media has become a soft target. I was having lunch in the canteen around 3.45 p.m. when I saw some 15 people entering the office with sticks. They broke the glass at the reception and slapped the receptionist. Then they saw me and said, ‘This is the man who criticises the Sena’, and threw a chair at me. They slapped me two to three times. Women were also not spared.”
According to the CNN IBN, the attacks were prompted for misquoting Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s article on Sachin Tendulkar.
Sanjay Raut, Sena MP and editor of the party mouthpiece Saamna admitted the attackers were Sainiks.
Keywords: Mumbai, Attack on TV channel office, Shiv Sena, Ashok Chavan, Bal Thackeray,
Comments:
Oh yeah! It is unconstitutional, anti-democratic and so on. Who denies? How many incidents like these the police and government need to take action against these groups and their leaders? What are they scared about? It's time the government prosecute these anti social elements and their leaders, ban such political outfits and also get ready to face the "consequences". It's big time already!
Whether it were actually Bal Thackeray's men out there to prove a point or the goons hired by MNS to tarnish Shiv Sena's image, it's so pathetically naive. And enough of their nonsense. High time for government to prove that it has spine and put a check on these annoying hyper-patriots.
The Siva Sainiks claim themselves to be guardians of the Maratha pride but what they have done
is mindless hooliganism. They are a bunch of perverted individuals who tried to dwarf Sachin for rightly asserting himself as an Indian first. The goons were trying to resurrect the larger – than - life image of Bal Thackeray who is a sworn enemy of peace, by giving an ugly shape to his rhetoric.
Sachin is a great sportsman belonging to the entire world, growing in stature with every run he scores. Mr. Thackeray, on the other hand, is orchestrating attacks like today's on CNN – IBN which serve no purpose except belittling him and his misdirected outfit.
Why don't Mr. Thackeray take on the anti-national forces who bled Maharashtra by their violent acts before fanning out to other parts of the country. Maharashtra paid a very heavy price in terms of the lives lost in terrorist carnages than any other State.
Being strong, rather `militant', advocates of Maratha pride, Siva Sainiks should fight the terrorists before the State is torn apart. May be Sachin fumbled at the stumps to take a cheeky single. Siva Sainiks need not have such worries protected as they are by their demigod who always bats for self-aggrandizement.
This is intorlrable. Sena members are taking law into their hands. It is big threat to freedom of the press. It has to dealth with strict punishment.
Irudayaraj A
Bombay was built by the British, and became a great city due to the enterprise of the British, Gujaratis and Parsees. The best punishnment for Maharashtian chauvinism would be for the Indian Government to remove Bombay from Maharashtra, and make it the second capital of India direct under Delhi rule.
We all know what is going to happen now. Some of the attackers (i.e. the less influential ones) will be arrested and soon released on bail while the real 'brains' behind it all will go untouched.
The only way to stop these incidents is for every one to be vocal in their disapproval of the attacks. Only when the senior Sainiks realise that these incidents hurt their social-image tangibly will they stop doing it. As long as a section of a population thinks these attacks are even somewhat justified, they will continue doing it to garner the support of that section of the society.
It is shameful to every Marathi & Hindus. They have no right to take name of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. If they want to take the name of Chatrapati, then they should first read the history
This is exactly the kind we should not tolerate for our democratic system to be effective. The political parties and people should be accountable and uphold the values of freedom of expression!
This is the limit crossed by MNS or Shiv sena who on the name of Maharastra spreading regionlism across the country...people supporing such group should also understand that they are not there for there welfare....They all are Hooligans playing card of "Maharastra Maanoos" to gain political popularity. They should be treated as national threat and put behind bars with banning all such parties..
The violent activities indulged in by the Shiv Sena cannot be condoned. This party, one thought, had over the years eschewed its belligrence and joined mainstrean politics. Having said that one should add that some of the TV channels, taken in by the knwledge that they are widely heard and that too with no chance of being immediately challenged, go overboard with their sharp comments on anything and everything. In a democracy the media has a duty to expose the wrong doings of people in public life. The duty however has to be limited to informing which might involve an analysis of all factors relevant to the information being given. But the said analysis and comments should however not be provocative for obvious reasons. Media persons will definitely know what is provocative and what is not.
It is shocking to note that the Sena took to violence and attacked the IBN staff. It is barbarious and should be condemned by all right thinking people.
Such Sainiks who think they can shut the media's mouth must be made to realise that the voice of truth will come back in a more vociferous wave. All Maharashtrians, especially the media and the celebrities,should come out and condemn the behaviour of the Sainiks.
This shows Shiv Saniks' sheer frustration of their failure in recently held elections.The attack on media is a threat which should be seriously taken by all the countrymen.The Government of the day should immediately book the guilty and award them severe punishment.
This is nothing more than a publicity stunt by the Shiv Sainiks. If they are the sons of the soils, and want to work for the marathi manoos, why are they then blaming Sachin & targeting Lokmat office (a marathi daily). Is there no freedom of expression?