Report from Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (RD)

Mumbai, Jun 6: Governor S C Jamir has condemned Thursday's attack on the Thane residence of leading Marati daily Loksatta’s Editor-in-chief Dr Kumar Ketkar, allegedly by Shiv Sangram party activists.

In a letter to Dr Ketkar, the Governor quoted as saying "I was shocked to see the reports of a group of politically charged hoodlums attacking your residence in Thane on Thursday June 5.  Even more appalling was to know that this was its way of expressing their displeasure on the views expressed by you in your editorial in the Loksatta'. Maharashtra is one of the most progressive states in the country known for its lofty tradition of upholding the freedom of speech and expression. The incident, regrettably not an isolated one, is certainly a blot on the fair image of the state and therefore I condemn it in the strongest possible words."      

Moreover, in a separate letter to CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Governor has asked him to bring all those responsible for Thursday's attack on the editor's residence to justice and to take exemplary steps, in order to prevent further attacks on members of the media.