Ramdas Athawale meets with former Navy officer: “Forwarding cartoons is not bad”


'Forwarding cartoons is not bad': Ramdas Athawale meets former Navy officer

Ramdas Athawale met Madan Sharma at the latter’s residence in Mumbai

Mumbai:

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday met with retired Navy officer Madan Sharma, who was allegedly assaulted by Shiv Sena workers on Saturday and said sending a cartoon is not bad.

“Shiv Sena formed the government in Maharashtra with the help of the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Raut approached Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar with folded hands to ask for their support as they did not want to see a BJP Chief Minister of the State. The cartoon was sent in honor of Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackerey, “alleged Mr. Athawale.

The union minister also said there is no basis for Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to qualify Madan Sharma’s act of conveying the message as a misuse of freedom of expression, adding that sending any message is not wrong.

Athawale met Sharma at the latter’s residence in Mumbai.

When asked about his opinion on the editorial by Shiv Sena’s spokesperson that said Mumbai belongs to the people of Maharashtra, the Union minister said that although he agrees that Mumbai belongs to the Maharashtrians before all others, since it is the capital of the state, belongs equally to people from all over the country. .

“Shiv Sena is right that Maharashtra has the first property over Mumbai because it is the capital of the state, but it also belongs to the whole nation as it employs people from all over the country. Everyone living in Mumbai is Mumbaikar. Even Kangana Ranaut calls himself Mumbaikar. Madan Sharma also calls himself Mumbaikar, “he said.

He further said that actress Kangna Ranaut had told him that she was going to learn Marathi.

Sharma, who demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray, told the media on Saturday that the cartoon he sent was made by artist Uday Maheshwari.

“In the cartoon, a man was showing respect to Sonia Gandhi by calling her mother (Matru Shree) and Sharad Pawar her father (Pitru Shree). I liked it. It was made by artist Uday Maheshwari. If anyone has a problem with the cartoon, they should complain to the artist and not to me, “said Sharma.

He added that the artist should be commended for his creativity.

Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam and five other people were arrested by Mumbai police after an FIR was recorded in connection with the alleged assault on a retired Navy officer in Mumbai.

They were later released on bail.

.