Marathi writer Shripal Sabnis gets death threats for anti-Modi remarks

MUMBAI: Writer and President of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan Shripal Sabnis has complained to the Umarga police in Latur of death threats after his controversial remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sabnis has been getting calls to issue an apology for his remarks on Modi or else ‘ We will break your hands and legs.’ In remarks made two days back in Pimpri Chinchwad Sabnis had castigated Modi and the RSS but also lauded the Prime Minister for using the name of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha in his foreign diplomacy and for making a courageous trip to Pakistan.

“Godhra’s Modi is a tainted one. He is not a PM that I would endorse. However today’s Modi takes Gandhi and Buddha’s name. He is trying to build an alliance with Muslim countries against ISIS… Is he then not a nationalist? He went to Pakistan to meet Nawaz Sharif, he could have been killed. Hafiz Saeed was there, Dawood Ibrahim was there. All terrorist training centres are there. Someone’s bullet or someone’s blast could have hit him and he could have been dead in a day and we would have to cremate him.”said Sabnis.

Sabnis remarks have angered many who felt that he expressed a desire to get Modi killed,however the writer has said that he was commending the courage shown by Modi in visiting Pakistan in spite of the risks to his life.

However his explanations have not cut much ice with Modi supporters who have threatened to have him killed if he did not apologise for his remarks on Modi. Sabnis has also decided to speak to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the issue.