Navy veteran, who was assaulted by Shiv Sena workers, meets governor Koshiyari

Madan Sharma, the retired Naval officer who was attacked by Shiv Sena workers last week for sharing a cartoon mocking Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday.

Sharma, accompanied by some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and ex-servicemen, complained to Koshiyari that the Uddhav Thackeray government was treating the suspects with kid gloves.

After the meeting, Sharma said, “The law should treat everyone the same way. Instead of cracking down on such elements, they (Sena workers) are being favoured.”

He also demanded President’s rule in the state and the dissolution of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar accompanied Sharma and said they wanted a public apology from Thackeray for the incident. “Uddhav Thackeray, as a chief of the Shiv Sena, should apologise for the attack carried out by his party workers,” said Bhatkhalkar.

The BJP had led the attack on the government over the issue, calling it state-sponsored terrorism. In an unusual move, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh even spoke with Sharma over the telephone.

The Sena, however, defended itself on Sunday saying it was not right to drag the party into this issue. “The workers did not take permission from us and we condemn all such incidents. The police have already taken action. However at the same time, it was wrong to provoke people as they have high respect for their leaders,” said Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

On Sunday, actor Kangana Ranaut who has been engaged in a bitter war of words with Shiv Sena had also met Koshiyari. Ranaut cried foul over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s move to demolish part of her office, saying it was illegal.