Athawale meets Navy veteran thrashed by Sena goons; wants President's rule in Maharashtra

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday arrived at the residence of Madan Sharma, the retired Navy officer who was beaten up by alleged Shiv Sena workers on September 11, to meet him. Madan Sharma was horrifically thrashed for forwarding on social media a cartoon mocking Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Six persons were arrested in the case and later granted bail.

'I will meet Amit Shah'

Addressing the media after meeting Madan Sharma, Athawale demanded that the President's rule should be imposed in Maharashtra as the Aghadi government has failed to handle the law and order situation in the state. Athawale said that he saw the cartoon and Madan Sharma had just forwarded it. "Sena workers could have taken against the one who drew it. Injustice has been meted out to Madan Sharma. I will meet Amit Shah and take up the issue with it," the Union Minister said. 

Athawale claimed that Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut had many times gone to Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar with "folded hands"  and hence "Uddhav Thackeray is CM now." Madan Sharma reiterated his demand and asked for Uddhav Thackeray's resignation. "I request Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Ji that if you cannot run the government, then you should resign. Let people elect a government that can maintain law and order in Maharashtra," he said.

Commenting on the Kangana Raut vs Shiv Sena spat, Ramdas Athawale said that, Kangana told him that she will learn Marathi & will answer Sanjay Raut in Marathi. The Union Minister also said that both Kangana Ranaut and Madan Sharma belong to Mumbai and are "Mumbaikars" 

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A day after the BMC attempted to demolish Kangana Ranaut's office, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met the actor at her residence in Mumbai. In his hour-long meeting, Athawale stressed that she had every right to live in Mumbai and conveyed that the RPI(A) will continue to support her. 

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