MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday apologised for a cartoon published in Saamana alluding to the Maratha rallies that had sparked a controversy, with the party drawing the ire of the community, political parties and an attack on an office of the newspaper.
The controversial cartoon had appeared in last Sunday’s edition of the Sena mouthpiece and apparently referred to the “silent marches” being taken out all over the state by the Maratha community to press for their demands like quota in jobs and education.
“The controversy over the cartoon may have died down, but my heart is still in a state of turmoil. I am deeply hurt because a Shiv Sainik can never humiliate women, whom we worship. I am thankful to the people who did not let their trust in the Sena dwindle due to the controversy that had been generated,” Thackeray told a press conference on Saturday.
“As president of Shiv Sena and editor of Saamana, I apologise to all mothers and sisters, who may have been inadvertently hurt by the cartoon. But, the cartoon never intended to disrespect anybody,” he said.
Notably, the Maratha rallies stood out for overwhelming participation of women from the community.
When asked about the delay in tendering the apology, Thackeray said, “I was watching who all will try to take political advantage out of this controversy and I was waiting to see if the people’s trust in us will get eroded.”
Taking a dim view of Thackeray’s statements, Congress said that if his apology was indeed heartfelt, he would have done so immediately after the cartoon was published. (PTI)
