Click to play videoMumbai: The house of Marathi newspaper Loksatta editor, Kumar Ketkar, was attacked in Thane on Thursday morning by a local group - Shiv Sangram Sangathan.
Shiv Sangram Sangathan activists carried out the attack allegedly because Ketkar had criticisised the state government's plans to erect a statue of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji.
A group of Shiv Sangram Sangathan activists pelted stones damaging windowpanes of Ketkar's house and also tried to ransack the house.
Ketkar and his wife were in the house when the attack took place at around 1030 hrs IST.
The activists also burnt the copies of Loksatta and smeared black paint at the entrance door of the house, police said.
A defiant Ketkar said, "My article was about asking why spend money on erecting a statue of Shivaji in the Arabian Sea. Why not spend that money elsewhere for public welfare. I'm okay, but things could have been worst. Loksatta and Indian Express stand for Journalism of Courage and we stand by it."
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil revealed that seven people have been arrested and charged for attack on Ketkar's residence.
On Wednesday, Ketkar had penned a scathing article on political parties in Maharashtra, especially the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government's proposal to erect a Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea.
Ketkar said that all state parties have been trying to gain political mileage by making Shivaji their corporate copyright.
He further wrote that especially when the state has a low rate of economic and industrial progress, they should not proudly term the governance as Shiv Shahi or the rule of Shivaji
President of Shiv Sangram Sangthan Vinayak Mete justified the attack on Ketkar's house.
"Chattrapati Shivaji was a great man not only in Maharashtra but of the nation. There should be his memorial in the middle of sea. We are trying this for 20 years. Deshmukh (Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh) has given him the due respect and has finalised everything. We are proud of this. Despite this Kumarji said very offensive words for him. Hence we are angry," Mete, a former MLC of NCP, said.
The state government is planning to install a 309-feet statue of Shivaji one kilometre into the Arabian Sea off Marine Drive.
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