Controversial articles on Savitribai Phule: Maharashtra CM orders action against websites

A letter signed by Pawar, Patil and Bhujbal to the city police chief claimed the Indic Tales and Hindu Post websites have posted objectionable articles against Phule, regarded as a pioneer in the field of female education.

Mumbai: Hours after leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Mumbai police commissioner's office demanding action against two websites for alleged objectionable articles on renowned social reformer Savitribai Phule, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed officials to verify the content and take action accordingly.

Shinde said those who resort to writing objectionable content against icons will not be spared. Senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal and scores of party workers staged the protest outside the office of Mumbai police commissioner.

A letter signed by Pawar, Patil and Bhujbal to the city police chief claimed the Indic Tales and Hindu Post websites have posted objectionable articles against Phule, regarded as a pioneer in the field of female education.

The letter alleged the act was done with a purpose to incite people. "In the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar, the act of insulting Savitribai Phule is cheap and we strongly protest against it," the letter said.

Later, the Chief Minister's Office in a statement said several social and political organisations have protested against an objectionable article against Savitribai Phule. "Taking cognisance of this, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed officials to verify the article on Indic Tales website and take action accordingly," the statement said.

The CM said while writing about icons, utmost care needs to be taken with a detailed study of them so that it does not hurt anyone's sentiments. On Monday, Bhujbal wrote a letter to CM Shinde, seeking action against a website and an author of an allegedly offensive article on Phule.

"The portal, in the name of rearranging history is destroying history. This anti-social tendency needs to be crushed," the NCP leader said. He appealed to the state government to take the issue seriously and ban the website.