MUMBAI: Shiv Sainiks poured black paint on Sudheendra Kulkarni, former aide of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, in Mumbai on Monday morning, Oct 12, in protest against the launch of former Pakistan foreign minister Kurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book ‘Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Relations’ that Kulkarni organised, embarrassing the BJP-led state government.

Sudheendra Kulkarni, the chairman of the Observer Research Foundation was dragged out of his car by 7 men near his residence and verbally abused before his face and head were blackened by Shiv Shainiks.

Kulkarni refused to be cowed down and addressed a press conference with Kasuri where both condemned the attack.

News reports quoted Kulkarni as saying that he was attacked by members of the Shiv Sena, which has opposed the event and has threatened to disrupt it.

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.”

“We don’t know if ink or tar was smeared. Nobody can foretell how public anger will explode,” Raut said

Kulkarni had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Oct 11, but said that he did not get any assurances from him. He was reported to have said that the event would go on despite the threat.

On Oct 12, two Sainiks were arrested. who dragged Kulkarni out of his car near his residence and verbally abused him before pouring black oil paint on his head.