Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters that "the man who has organised Kasuri's book launch in Mumbai (Sudheendra Kulkarni) is a Pakistani agent. (Maharashtra chief minister Devendra) Fadnavisji has publicly said that Khurshid won't be allowed to have any anti-India view in his programme and if he does, the organiser will be responsible for it. We welcome the CM's stand."
"Blackening of Kulkarni's face was a mild protest. Wait to see what happens in the evening if the programme continues," Raut said. The book launch programme involving Kasuri is scheduled later in the evening.
Claiming that Sena has no "political agenda" behind opposing the book launch event, Raut claimed while Khurshid was Foreign Minister of Pakistan, he was responsible for bringing all extremist anti-India organisations together to "suit their Kashmir agenda."
"When he was Foreign Minister, he did all sorts of things that were anti-India. We have submitted all of that to the CM and we now expect him to keep his word of not allowing any anti-India stand and intervene and stop the programme," he said.
"He (Khurshid) was responsible for bringing extremist organisations like the Hurriyat together. He asked all of them to unite that will ultimately give Pakistan strength to fight against India. (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, while he was Prime Minister, was forced to talk about war because of this man," Raut said.
He said Sena will continue to boycott all events relating to Pakistan citizens till the neighbouring country stops sponsoring terror.
Earlier in the day, an black paint was sprayed on Kulkarni for not bowing down to Sena's diktat seeking cancellation of events having Pakistani connection.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
