Shiv Sena smears black paint on Sudheendra Kulkarni's face to protest Kasuri's book launch

Shiv Sena activists today allegedly smeared black ink on the face of ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launch in Mumbai. Kulkarni alleged that Shiv Sena activists threw ink at him and smeared his face, adding they also abused him. He said that his Observer and Research Foundation (ORF), a foreign policy think-tank, will hold Kasuri's book launch as planned later today. The organiser said they won't be cowed down by such events and the book launch will happen as planned. Maharashtra's Home department, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had, however, assured the organiser of full security. Meanwhile, reacting to the ink attack on Kulkarni, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said smearing ink is a very mild form of democratic protest. Kasuri is scheduled to attend the launch of his book 'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Policy' in Mumbai. Sena had demanded that the event be scrapped and had threatened to disrupt it. The Shiv Sena had earlier threatened to disrupt Ghulam Ali's concerts, leading to cancellation of the Pakistani ghazal singer's events in Mumbai and Pune recently.