Saamana office in Navi Mumbai stoned, ink thrown at Thane office

Thane (Maharashtra): Unknown persons pelted the Saamana printing press in Navi Mumbai with stones and threw ink at its offices in Thane on Tuesday, an official said here.

Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said some culprits stoned the publication's offices in Saanpada suburb, shattering two or three glass windows on the outer wall.

"Investigations will be conducted and appropriate action taken against the accused," Nagrale told media persons.

In adjoining Thane town, some persons threw ink outside the office of Saamana, the mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena, a BJP ally in both the central and Maharashtra governments.

Though officials declined comment, the provocation for the attacks stems from a cartoon published in the Saamana on Sunday, poking fun at the ongoing statewide stir by Marathas seeking reservation and other issues.

The Maratha community has taken strong objection to what it alleged were snide suggestions made in the Saamana cartoon.