“I request Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ji that if you cannot run the government, then you should resign. Let people elect a government that can maintain law and order in Maharashtra,” said Madan Sharma, a retired Navy officer who was allegedly beaten up by Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai on September 11.

According to the police, he has forwarded a cartoon of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on WhatsApp.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Sharma at his residence in Mumbai on Sunday.

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After the meeting, he told reporters, “Madan Sharma ji was attacked and the people behind it should been booked for attempt to murder but the government belongs to him, so the police have just registered a case against Shiv Sena workers. The workers should have gone to the police but it is Shiv Sena’s habit to resort to violence like this.”

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Shiv Sena’s Kamlesh Kadam and three others have been arrested in the incident, the police had said, adding that a case under IPC section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting has been registered. However, Kadam and the others, who were arrested, were later granted bail, ANI reported. 

“Government should take measures to identify the source of a message from where it’s generated,” Sharma, the retired Navy officer had told ANI. He said, every individual in India has the freedom to express and Whatsapp is a medium to stay connected and share information.