Mumbai resident Hiramai Tiwari he was thrashed by Shiv Sena workers
A man in Mumbai has alleged he was thrashed and his head was shaved by Shiv Sena workers after he wrote against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on social media. Hiramai Tiwari, a resident of Wadala, said he had commented on the Chief Minister comparing the anti-citizenship law protest at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
"On December 19, I posted that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's comparison of Jamia Millia incident with Jallianwala Bagh was wrong. After that 25-30 people thrashed me and shaved my head," Mr Tiwari told news agency ANI.
"I went to the police station. Police officials prepared a report that I was beaten up. But after some time they typed a new letter and asked me to compromise... I demand strict action in the case," he said.
On December 17, Mr Thackeray had compared police action in Jamia to the massacre in Punjab during the British rule. "What happened at Jamia Millia Islamia University is like Jallianwala Bagh. Students are like yuva (youth) bomb. So we request the central government to not do what they are doing with students," Mr Thackeray had said.
His statement came after several students were left injured last week during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Delhi.
Shiv Sena sources said the party is focussing on good governance and such incidents are unfortunate. "It diverts attention from real issues facing the state. The party is going to reach out to workers asking them to refrain from being provoked and distracted from real issues," a Sena leader said.
The Shiv Sena had supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, but walked out during voting on it in the Rajya Sabha, saying the party's queries on the bill were not answered.
The opposition Congress and other parties have accused the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of working to divide the country on religious lines.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act for the first time makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries to get citizenship if they fled to India before 2015 because of religious persecution. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.
With inputs from ANI