Shiv Sena slams Devyani Khobragade's father for terming media casteist

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena today slammed diplomat Devyani Khobragade's father Uttam Khobragade, a former IAS officer, for calling Marathi media casteist after being confronted with a query about her flat in the controversial Adarsh housing society.

The Sena, which had earlier demanded that India retaliate strongly to the affront of her arrest, lashed out at Uttam Khobragade, saying he "erred" by bringing up the issue of caste, when asked about his daughter's flat.

"It is his mental bankruptcy," an editorial in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

At a recent press conference in Delhi, he had responded to a question about her owning a flat in the Adarsh society despite being ineligible by calling the Marathi media casteist.

"Because the Marathi media pursued the issue aggressively chief minister Ashok Chavan had to go home. In fact Ashok Chavan's political career was destroyed," the editorial said, adding even former chief ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde were not spared by the media.

How can a well-educated person such as Uttam Khobragade not rid his mind of casteism is surprising, it added.

Khobragade, an officer of the 1984 batch, is also a former chief of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking. BEST had transferred additional floor space index to facilitate increase in the height of the Adarsh building and questions were raised about the propriety of the decision.