Mumbai, February 22: Shiv Sena on Friday sacked Yuva Sena members for allegedly being involved in the attack on Kashmiri students in Maharashtra's Yavatmal. Yuva Sena, headed by Aaditya Thackeray, is a youth wing of Shiv Sena. In a series of tweets, Aaditya Thackeray called the attack on Kashmiri students 'unfortunate' and appealed not to vent anger against terrorism towards innocent people.

"There was an unfortunate incident yest in Yavatmal, with some students of Jammu & Kashmir. The @ShivSena had issued a press note yesterday itself which hasn’t been printed today, may be to further sensationalise the issue or defame us, while ignoring our disciplinary action (sic)," Thackeray said. "As of last evening, the Party has sacked those involved in the act. J&K is a part of India and no Indian, or for that matter, nobody should face the brunt of anger that is towards terrorism. We understand the angst but it must be against terror, not innocent people (sic)," he added. Imran Khan Asks Pakistan Army to 'Respond Decisively' to Any Indian Aggression.

Thackeray accused some media houses of deliberately ignoring Yuva Sena's press release wherein the outfit had condemned the attack on Kashmiri students and assured action against the culprits if they were found to be the party's activists. "We may also consider a defamation suit against those who have received our note and purposely ignored it to malign the party and to sensationalise the issue while publishing it," he said.

Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray's tweets:

On Wednesday night, Umar Rashid Dar and Umar Nazir Ganai, both from Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, and their friends were intercepted outside their rented home in Waghapur Road area in Yavatmal. The attackers asked where they hailed from. When they replied Kashmir, they were mercilessly thrashed, humiliated and forced to chant 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'The dozen-strong mob also demanded to know whether their relatives were 'terrorists'.

The victims are students of Dayabhai Patel College of Physical Education. Earlier today, the Supreme Court directed the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) in states and union territories to take prompt action to prevent threats, assault, intimidation and boycott targeted at Kashmiris, especially students, in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 22, 2019 08:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).