Shiv Sena slams Shobhaa De yet again, defends dadagiri culture

09 April,2015 12:40 PM IST |   |  PTI

Continuing its attack on Shobhaa De, Shiv Sena today said that had Bal Thackeray not done dadagiri to preserve Marathi culture, she would have attended Page-3 parties in a burqa

Celebrity writer Shobhaa De with police security after Shiv Sena activists protested outside her residence for her criticism against Maharashtra governmentâ??s move of making screening of Maratha films mandatory for multiplexes during prime time, in Mumba


In a vitriolic attack against Shobhaa De for opposing mandatory screening of Marathi films, Shiv Sena today said had Bal Thackeray not done -dadagiri- to preserve Marathi culture, her forefathers would "have been born in Pakistan" and she would have -attended Page-3 parties in a burqa-.

De, reacting to Maharshtra government-s controversial move to make it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Marathi films in the prime time slot, had earlier tweeted: "I love Marathi movies. Let me decide when and where to watch them, Devendra Fadnavis. This is nothing but Dadagiri."

Celebrity writer Shobhaa De with police security after Shiv Sena activists protested outside her residence for her criticism against Maharashtra government's move of making screening of Maratha films mandatory for multiplexes during prime time, in Mumbai on Thursday. Pic/PTI

The ruling alliance partner had yesterday sought to move a breach of privilege motion against the well-known novelist, taking objection to her tweet on Maharashtra government-s decision.

"You have done great service to the Marathi land in which you were born. It is unfortunate for Maharashtra that such comments came from a Marathi woman," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece -Saamna- said here today.

Coming down heavily on the author, the editorial said, "Since you have termed the decision of the state government as dadagiri, let us tell you Shobhaa...Had Chhatrapati Shivaji, in his time, and Balasaheb Thackeray not done -dadagiri-, then your forefathers and her children would have been born in Pakistan and you would have been attending Page 3 parties in a burqa."

"The comments that Shobhaa has made on Marathi culture and food amount to insulting the Marathi people. She has even insulted our culture," the Sena said.

When asked about the editorial-s reference to Pakistan, the party clarified that the comments were made only to highlight the fight of Shivaji and Bal Thackeray -against the injustice- meted out to Marathi people.

Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, raising point of propriety in the state Legislative Assembly, had on Wednesday said that De had hurt the sentiments of the House and sought to move breach of privilege motion against her.

He said that in her tweet, De remarked that popcorns will now be replaced by Marathi delicacies -dahi misal- and -vada pav- in multiplexes.

The -vada pav- remark was followed by Shiv Sena and the Republican Party of India staging noisy protests on Thursday outside her residence,
Coming hours apart, activists of both parties carried banners as well as trays laden with -vada-pav-, -misal-, -dahi-misal-, -vadi- - the favourite snacks of Mumbaikars and Maharashtrians - and raised slogans against De.
The protesters condemned De-s comments opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government-s diktat to all multiplexes in Maharashtra to daily exhibit Marathi movies between 6-9 p.m.
Police personnel deployed in large numbers outside De-s residence in the upmarket Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai prevented the political activists from entering the building premises.
Later, they rounded up around two dozen activists of both parties and detained them.
De, who accepted the snacks from the protesters, told journalists that she was overwhelmed by the support she received for her tweets on the social media and elsewhere.
On the protests, she said she was not at all worried.
"I have full faith in Mumbai Police... Police barricades are up... I am feeling perfectly calm and safe... Thank You, Mumbai Police.
"I will not be a party to this sort of politics. I will take legal advice and take action as per the law," she later tweeted.
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