Rane caricatured as bride, supporters go on rampage

POLITICAL THEATRE: The old rivalry between Shiv Sena and Narayan Rane was revived once again.

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New Delhi: The old rivalry between the Shiv Sena and Narayan Rane, who quit the party to join the Congress were revived once again after the Sena mouthpiece Saamna published a digitally altered picture of Rane.

Rane is depicted in the picture as a newly married woman clad in a sari.

Angry Rane supporters burnt copies of Saamna in Mumbai and also attacked its office in Pune.

The caricature was apparently in response to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's light-hearted remark describing Rane as a just married, confused daughter-in-law in Congress.

However, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil has said both sides should exercise restraint.

“We will not tolerate such an attack on media in Maharashtra. Police has taken action on both the cases. In the last night incident 25 people have been arrested. I will also like to say that Saamna should not have maligned such a senior leader,” Patil said.

The Saamana carried the front page political satire in its Thursday's edition that led to sporadic incidents, in which some alleged supporters attacked the papers office in Pune and burnt its copies in other parts.

The Revenue Minister has made no secret of his chief ministerial ambitions since he left the Sena and joined Congress two years back.

It was Deshmukh's comment on his bete noire in New Delhi on Wednesday after his meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi that set the tone for the Saamana pillory of Rane.