By IANS,
Mumbai: Condemning the attack on The Times of India building here Saturday, the Press Club, Mumbai, said that the assault was against the entire media fraternity.
“The attack is not just an attack on the Maharashtra Times or The Times of India Group, but the entire media fraternity. Such attacks would not be tolerated. The Press Club in strongest words condemns this act of cowardice by supporters of Anandrao Adsul,” the Club said in a statement.
More than 50 angry Shiv Sena activists Saturday afternoon stormed The Times Of India building here and damaged furniture and fittings in the reception area of the newspaper office.
They were protesting a report published in the Maharashtra Times, the Marathi language daily of the TOI group, allegedly speculating that party MP from Amravati Anandrao Adsul was planning to defect to the Nationalist Congress Party.
“We have been requesting the government to make attacks on media persons and media houses non-bailable and cognizable offences. However, the political spectrum appears to be in unison preventing such a move,” the statement added.
Adsul and his legislator son Abhijit, as well as another party MP and Saamna (the Shiv Sena mouthpiece) editor Sanjay Raut, indirectly supported the attack on grounds that the activists were provoked by the report.
Later, Abhijit Adsul attempted to shirk responsibility, claiming that the attackers did not belong to the party.