Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Saturday raised the usage of "foul language" in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' against the prime minister and other leaders of his party with the newspaper's editor Rashmi Thackeray, wife of Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
In his letter to Rashmi Thackeray, Patil asked if she, as the editor, was "comfortable" with the quality of language.
Sena MP Sanjay Raut is the executive editor of the Marathi daily.
Patil had recently expressed outrage at the language used by the daily and said he would write to its editor to register his protest and indignation.
"My request to you is to reconsider the language used in 'Saamana'. As the editor of 'Saamana', you are responsible for the language used in your publication. I know you personally and believe that even you do not like such language.
"For last some days, 'Saamana' has been using foul and below-the-belt language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (the BJP's) Central as well as Maharashtra leaders. If you are comfortable with the use of such language, you can continue to do so," Patil wrote in Marathi.
The Marathi daily was founded by late Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who remained its editor till his death, followed by Uddhav Thackeray who relinquished the post after becoming CM in November last year.
He then appointed Rashmi Thackeray as the editor, though its day-to-day work as well as Sena's policies and stand in the daily is largely finalised by Raut in his capacity as executive editor.
Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP, is also the chief spokesperson of the party and its chief whip in Parliament.
