Yesterday a veteran of the Indian Navy – Madan Sharma was attacked by Shiv Sena goons in Maharashtra for sharing a cartoon on WhatsApp. Sharing the picture of the retired Navy officer’s injured eye, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, in a thread of Tweets, narrated how he too was hounded by the Uddhav Thackeray led-Maharashtra Government which tried to muzzle him for speaking against its whims.
In his Tweet, he explains why he suddenly unfollowed many friends on Twitter. He says that the reason behind the hurried decision is the Maharashtra Government and the police. “Since they were following me and who I interacted with closely and actually summoned few to police Stn, I didn’t want anyone to get into trouble, hence unfollowed all and deleted my TL”, wrote the filmmaker.
A lot of friends were confused why I suddenly unfollowed them. MAH GOVT/POLICE was the reason. Since they were following me and who I interacted with closely and actually summoned few to police Stn, I didn’t want anyone to get into trouble, hence unfollowed all and deleted my TL. https://t.co/YjC53LCwEr
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 12, 2020
Vivek claims that in the month of April when the corona scourge was at its peak and Mumbai was under strict curfew and no one was allowed to go outside their houses, the Maharashtra govt “SENT POLICE to my house to INTIMIDATE and THREATEN me to shut up and not speak against the govt”.
This is what this govt did to me:
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 11, 2020
In the month of April when Mumbai was under curfew, no one was allowed to go outside their house, even vegetables were not available, this govt SENT POLICE to my house to IMTIMIDATE and THREATEN me to shut up and not speak against the govt. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/UftI57BQpP
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri hounded by Maha Govt
He elucidated that the intolerant Maha government, displeased with him for writing about the Palghar lynching of Sadhus and against the Mismanagement of Covid, decided to bullyrag him. They used their topmost police officers to intimidate him. Even the Deputy Commissioner of Maharashtra police, who was compelled to act against him, was extremely embarrassed as he had a lot of respect for the filmmaker for his work on the Urban Naxals, but his hands were tied, said Agnihotri.
Narrating further how he and his family were hounded, Vivek Agnihotri wrote: “Me & my wife stood for 2 hrs outside my building on the road while Corona was at peak as all dirty tricks were used against me”.
Even the Dy commissioner police was embarrassed as he respected me for my work against #UrbanNaxals but he was forced by the govt to silence me.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 11, 2020
Me & my wife stood for 2 hrs outside my building on the road while Corona was at peak as all dirty tricks were used against me. 3/4 pic.twitter.com/nrcGDeKbDs
He wondered if the Maharashtra government could badger a person like him “what they can do to the hapless 66 Yr old veteran Madan Sharma”.
Shiv Sena goons assault retired Navy officer for sharing Uddhav Thackeray cartoon
The recent display of intolerance by the Shiv Sena led Maharashtra government has been quite disconcerting. Yesterday the Shiv Sena goons assaulted a retired naval office for sharing a cartoon that had taken a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. The WhatsApp forward was allegedly a satirical cartoon featuring Uddhav Thackeray and his allies Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi.
The CCTV footage of the incident that had gone viral on social media, showed how the veteran was brutally attacked by a bunch of goons.
Kangana Ranaut hounded by Shiv Sena government
Actor Kangana Ranaut too has lately been at the receiving end facing constant threats, derogatory attacks and harassment from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government. On September 9, the Shiv Sena led BMC demolished her property in Bandra worth crores, within just 24 hours of a ‘stop work’ notice and at a time when such demolition activities have been prohibited by a High Court order.
Maha Govt tries to muzzle Republic TV
In fact, earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court observed that party’s affiliate Shiv Cable Sena was not a ‘statutory body’ to interfere or supersede Republic TV contract with its cable network operators. It’s appalling how the Shiv Sena government, issued veiled threats to the cable operators to ban the Arnab Goswami-led media network or face consequences.
The crackdown on Republic TV by Shiv Sena comes at the backdrop of Republic TV’s relentless coverage into Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide case and the recent controversial demolition drive carried out by Sena-led BMC against Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.
