Shiv Sena workers attack activists with iron rod, blacken face

Mumbai - Sena workers attacked Mallikarjun Bhaikatti a day after he unravelled construction scam.

A day after Shiv Sena workers blackened the face of an RTI (right to information) activist in Latur, about 500km south-east of Mumbai, the party sacked the hooligans.
"Heard of the unfortunate incident in Latur," tweeted Aditya, son of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the party's youth wing. "The party strongly condemns the disgraceful act. Those involved have been removed from the party."
The Sena, which is a partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments both at the centre and in Maharashtra, has gained notoriety in recent years for blackening the faces of people opposed to its ideology. Hooligans usually apply black paint on the victim's face, or splash black ink on them.
On Friday, Sena workers attacked Mallikarjun Bhaikatti, an RTI activist at a Latur college, a day after he exposed an alleged scam at a news conference. According to Bhaikatti, 14,000sq ft of illegal construction had taken place at the college and the boy's hostel.
Angry Sena assaulted him with an iron rod in front of the students and then blackened his face. He had to be admitted to a local hospital. The police later arrested about two-dozen Sena workers. A Sena worker accused the RTI activist of indulging in blackmail. But this was the first time that the party took action against its hooligans. The Sena has always justified the rowdiness of its workers, claiming it reflected their anger.
Earlier this month, Sena goons blackened the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, the ex-aide of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who now heads the Observer Research Foundation. Kulkarni had arranged a function to launch a book by former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.
Kulkarni refused to wash his face and appeared along with Kulkarni at the news conference. But an unrepentant Sena refused to apologise to him and party leaders justified the act of its workers.
The Sena had also got the organisers of a music concert, featuring Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali, to cancel the show. They had warned they would disrupt the show. The recent hooliganism has hurt ties between the BJP and the Sena, with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis lashing out at the party for its acts of intolerance and violence. Fadnavis and Uddhav have been engaged in a battle of words for the past few days. - nithin@khaleejtimes.com