Solapur: 17 arrested for assault on BJP leader over comments on Uddhav Thackeray

Solapur police on Monday arrested 17 accused for assaulting a local BJP leader over his comments on Uddhav Thackeray, reported ANI.

According to the information given by the police, the FIR has been registered against 17 accused and all of them have also been arrested.

Shiv Sena workers on Sunday had allegedly doused ink on a BJP leader in Maharashtra's Solapur district after the latter criticised Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

A video of Sena workers blackening the victim's face, forcing him to wear a saree and parading him on the streets of Solapur for criticising the Sena chief was shared by news agency ANI. The event unfolded while the police attempted to ward them off.

The video was widely shared on Twitter and the party had drawn flak from netizens. Several people on social media had also demanded strict action against the Sena workers.

This is a second such case of assault by Sena workers in recent times.

In September 2020, Shiv Sena activists allegedly attacked a retired Navy Officer for sharing a post about Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. The incident took place in Kandivali in Mumbai and CCTV footage shows several individuals chasing down one person.

The incident took place on September 11, days after the retired Navy officer and a resident of Thakur Complex in Kandivali (E) had forwarded a message on WhatsApp in his society group.