Suspected RPI activists attack TV channel office in Mumbai

Suspected activists of Republican Party of India (RPI), led by Ramdas Athavale, which demanded eviction of cartoonist Aseem Trivedi from TV reality show 'Bigg Boss', on Thursday pelted stones on the Colors channel office in suburban Andheri, police said.u00a0

Though minor cracks appeared on the office glasses, nobody was injured in the incident, the police said.

Two persons, suspected to be RPI activists, came on a motorcycle and one of them pelted stones at the TV channel's office this afternoon, Deputy Police Commissioner Namdev Chavan said. Soon, the duo fled from the spot, the officer said.

Aseem Trivedi

Police suspect that the accused wanted to damage the property of the channel as it did not pay heed to their party's demand to evict Trivedi.

Last week, Athavale led a morcha of party workers to the location of the 'Bigg Boss' house in Lonavala, demanding removal of Trivedi.

The party objected to Trivedi's participation saying the cartoonist had "hurt the sentiments" of the Dalit community with his cartoons that had "grossly insulted" the national emblem and other constitutional symbols.

The 25-year-old cartoonist, whose sedition charges were dropped by the Maharashtra government recently after his arrest, debuted on TV with Season six of the hit show.

In the first week of September, Trivedi had been booked under IPC Section 124 (A)(sedition), Section 66 A of Information Technology Act and Section 2 of Prevention of Insults to Nation Honour Act for displaying cartoons which were described as bad in national interest.u00a0