Sena workers assault, smear ink on RTI activist

Shiv Sena activists on Friday allegedly assaulted and blackened the face of a Right to information (RTI) activist from Solapur after he exposed an "illegal" construction case.

The victim, Mallikarjun Bhaikatti, had filed an RTI against Latur's Rajshree Shahu College, and also held a press conference recently in this regard.

This had reportedly irked Shiv Sena workers, who took Bhaikatti to the same college and beat him up in front of college students and also smeared his face with ink.

The RTI activist has been shifted to a private hospital in Latur.

"I have been asking for police protection for over four months, but nothing has been done," RTI said Bhaikatti.

Local Shiv Sena leader Abhay Salunke said, "Bhaikatti was blackmailing the college in the name of RTI and has also levelled false allegations against it. Latur is famous in the country for Shahu College. He has given a bad name to Latur, and hence, we blackened his face."

However, police has not arrested anyone in this case. It has put Fadnavis govt in problem and surrounded by questions again.

On October 12, ahead of the launch of a book written by former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, Shiv Sena activists attacked Sudheendra Kulkarni, former BJP leader and aide to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

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