Shiv Sena reprimands Hindu radicals, says don’t stifle dissent

By NewsGram Staff Writer

Mumbai: Radical Hindu outfits have been strongly criticized by Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, Saamna, for suffocating opposition in the country, as manifested by the assassination of Kannada scholar M. M. Kalburgi.

Sanjay Raut, Saamna Executive Editor, in a signed article on Sunday stated that Kalburgi, Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Communist activist Govind Pansare had every right to air their views. In the article, Raut said that an attack on freedom of speech is comparable to destroying the "soul of the country's freedom."

According to political experts, this stand of Saamna regarding freedom of speech is highly contrasting with the numerous assaults by the party on writers and media personalities during the Bal Thackeray era.

Citing examples of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iraq, which have been regular witnesses to such killings, Saamna stated that India will have to forfeit its right to criticize Talibani excesses, if eradication of dissidents is carried out in the country in the name of Hindutva. The saffron morninger went on to say that the use of venomous language and killing old and unarmed individuals should be seen as the defeat of the Bhagwat Dharma and Hindu religion… It's an act of cowardice; Hindu religion says that those without weapons should not be attacked.

"Some political forces, have been backing these extremist outfits… They think that they have proprietorial rights over Shivaji and Sambhaji. Up until now these groups were content issuing statements. Now, they have become fearsome," Saamna said and urged the Hindu radicals to direct their spleen on Hafeez Sayed in Pakistan and Owaisi brothers in the state.