By IndiaTomorrow.net,
Mumbai, 31 Oct 2015: Two weeks after eminent journalist Sudheendra Kulkarni was assaulted and his face blackened by members of Shiv Sena in Mumbai for hosting a book launch for a former Pakistan minister, an RTI activist called Mallikarjun Bhaikatti was assaulted and his face blackened by some members of the party in Latur district on Friday. Already facing criticism for the attack on Kulkarni, Shiv Sena has taken immediate action in the Latur case and reportedly sacked the accused party workers.
Mallikarjun Bhaikatti, a local RTI activist, was badly beaten up and his face splattered with ink after he ‘threatened’ to expose irregularities in the construction of a local school’s premises, reported The Hindu.
Engineer Rashid, an MLA from Jammu and Kashmir, was also assaulted and his face blackened by members of a little-known Hindu Sena on 19 Oct at Press Club of India here in Delhi.
Shiv Sena sacks partymen over ink attack on RTI activist
In a damage control exercise, the Shiv Sena on Saturday condemned the attack and blackening the face of RTI activist Mallikarjun Bhaikatti by its activists here on Friday.
The Sena activists, led by one Abhay Salunkhe and others who attacked Bhaikatti for exposing a massive illegal construction activity, were dismissed from the party, party leader Aditya Thackeray said.
Thackeray also “strongly condemn the disgraceful act” on behalf of his party.
“Heard of the unfortunate incident in Latur. The party strongly condemns the disgraceful act. Those involved have been removed from the party,” he said in a statement.
Through an RTI query, Bhaikatti exposed a massive illegal in construction of a four-storied boys hostel in the city.
After Bhaikatti addressed a press conference, some of Sena activists dragged him to the college premises and vowed to teach him a lesson.
There they shouted slogans and assaulted Bhaikatti with an iron rod and blackened his face with ink. Salunkhe alleged that the RTI activist was a ‘blackmailer’.
Bhaikatti has been admitted to a hospital where his condition is describied as stable.
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With inputs from IANS
