Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya has sought to justify his party’s opposition to the release of a book by Pakistan’s former foreign minister and a concert by ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali while replying to journalist Rajdeep Sardesai’s open letter questioning the Sena’s actions.
The Shiv Sena, part of Maharashtra’s ruling coalition, has been widely criticised for forcing the cancellation of two concerts by Ghulam Ali and for smearing former BJP member Sudheendra Kulkarni, one of the organisers for the release of Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book, with black ink on Monday.
“Of course non-violent incidents like ink shed on some by a certain few parties would anger you to tag it as violence, but otherwise it would be democratic and historic. Ink spilt may be more violent for you than its intent to protest against all the innocent blood spilt on the streets of Mumbai, Jammu and Kashmir, every city that has faced Pakistan-sponsored terrorism,” Aaditya wrote in a letter released by the Shiv Sena.
Earlier, Sardesai wrote in his open letter: “You have every right to feel strongly about Pak-based terror. You have every right to dislike Mr Kasuri. But if you don’t like him or Pakistan, or his book, don’t read it, boycott the function, wear a black band. Ditto with Ghulam Ali. But what gives you or the Sena’s goons the right to physically attack the organisers or force the government to call off a concert?”
In his response, Aaditya referred to the families of soldiers killed by Pakistani forces or terrorists and said efforts by India to forge peaceful relations with Pakistan had never been reciprocated. “Let’s not forget that the Shiv Sena supported the peace talks with a caution of betrayal of course, and does so even today. Let’s not forget every terrorist attack, the train blasts, the 26/11 attacks (which I escaped unhurt narrowly, from our very own college...as I was rehearsing on a play we were working on), and many more in the (Kashmir) Valley that we wake up to, every day and every month...,” he wrote.
