Mumbai: Apparently irked by a report in Marathi daily 'Maharashtra Times' which speculated that a sitting Shiv Sena MP was on his way to NCP, alleged Sena workers on Saturday vandalised the reception area of Times of India (TOI) building in Mumbai.
Sixteen people had been detained in connection with the attack, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajnish Seth.
While the police did not say which party they belonged to, Shiv Sena denied that attackers hailed from the party.
Around 20-25 men entered the lobby of TOI building at around 1 pm and damaged some furniture, flower pots, etc, but could not go up to the Maharashtra Times office as the security staff stopped them.
Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut, said, "Shiv Sena has nothing to do with this attack."
Maharashtra Times, in its Saturday's edition, has carried a report saying that Sena MP, Anandrao Adsul may be joining NCP. The report followed an announcement by NCP on Friday that an MP from the state was going to enter the party on Saturday.
However, not Adsul, but former Shiv Sena MP Shivaji Mane, who had later joined Congress, on Saturday entered NCP.
NCP has netted leaders from Shiv Sena and BJP recently. Panditanna Munde, elder brother of BJP leader Gopinath Munde, joined NCP last week, and his son (Gopinath's nephew)Dhananjay too is likely to follow. Anand Paranjpe, Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan, has also indicated that he would be going over to NCP.
Raj Thackeray-led MNS condemned the attack. "They should have instead forced the newspaper to disclose the (correct) information on the front page. There was no need to vandalise the office," said MNS spokesperson Shirish Parkar.
NCP denounced the act, dubbing it as "an attack on the freedom of speech". "The people from Mumbai will give an appropriate answer to the violent behaviour," it said.
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