After his party’s workers were arrested for assaulting a retired officer of the Indian Navy, who forwarded a cartoon mocking Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Sena MP Sanjay Raut once again played down the incident and said that “something like this could happen in a big state like Maharashtra”.
"If someone has attacked, they did not ask us. Maharashtra is a big state. Something like this can happen to anyone. Do you know how many ex-servicemen have been attacked in UP? But, Defence Minister didn't call them. Our government believes that no innocent person should be attacked," the Shiv Sena leader told news agency ANI.
Madan Sharma, the former Indian Navy officer, was assaulted on Friday in the Kandivali area of Mumbai allegedly by a group of workers of the ruling Shiv Sena.
"We have to fight COVID-19. Unfortunately, some political parties are busy doing politics for their vested interest. He is a retired navy officer. Defence Minister Rajanth Singh is also taking interest in this matter. When you speak something and indulge in mudslinging and people become angry with this then why are you associating government with this?" he asked while speaking to ANI.
"I have sympathy for the person who was attacked. I protest against it. There is a rule of law in Maharashtra and the accuse were arrested immedidately. The action was taken immediately without looking at people irrespective of their party affiliation," he added.
So far, six people have been arrested by the Mumbai police after an FIR was registered in connection with the incident. The six were later released on bail.
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