Saamana row: Shiv Sena reels after cartoon self-goal 

MUMBAI: Suspected Maratha activists attacked offices of the Saamana in Thane and Navi Mumbai after a cartoon carried in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece was termed as ‘denigrating the dignity’ of Maratha women by community members.

The mob that attacked the Navi Mumbai office broke window panes. The bigger worry for the party, however, was the several cases filed against the newspaper in different parts of the state against the cartoon. The cartoon played on the words ‘mukh morcha’ (silent march), being carried out by Maratha community activists, to show a couple kissing amid protesters, after mistakenly landing at one such rally.

‘Mukha’ means ‘kiss’ in Marathi. After the cartoon appeared in the paper on Monday, members of the Maratha community expressed outrage and alleged it was ‘insensitive’ and ‘derogatory’ to Maratha women who were leading state-wide rallies over demands of the community. As the cartoon went viral on Whatsapp, MLAs, MPs and corporators started feeling the heat of the protest.

According to sources, at least one MP and MLA were ready to resign in solidarity with the sentiments expressed by the Maratha community. The Sena woke up to the issue on Tuesday and tried to control the damage by speaking to its aggrieved legislators.

Wednesday’s paper also carried an apology by cartoonist Shrinivas Prabhudesai: “There was no intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments. The controversy over the cartoon is unnecessary. I am an artist and not a political cartoonist.” Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that the cartoon did not refer to the protests. He supported demandfor reservations to Maratha community.