“It was a physical reaction to atrocious writing,” Methe said, adding that although he would not support violence, such incidents were “a spontaneous reaction by people”.

But Ketkar said the attack seemed well-planned. “They knew I would be home at the time of the attack. Also, my flat doesn’t have my name plate for identification, so they must have surveyed the area well in advance” he said, rejecting Methe’s charge that the editorial was critical of Shivaji.

The editorial — its Marathi headline translates to “Shivshahi Has Arrived” and is reproduced on Page 13 of this edition — was critical of the government and politicians for resorting to symbolisms instead of tackling serious problems gripping the state, Ketkar said.

“It was a semi-murderous attack but we are not going to be bogged down by it,” Ketkar said. “Loksatta and The Indian Express belong to a media group for whom Journalism of Courage is not just a slogan. Loksatta is a people’s paper and what we have written is in the public interest. Shivaji Maharaj himself did not go around erecting statues, he instead attended to people’s problems.”

Shiv Sangram, he said, had attacked Loksatta’s office in Ahmednagar in 2006 for not publishing Shivaji’s picture on the front page of the newspaper on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti.

Today’s incident drew widespread condemnation from politicians and the media. But political analysts and media observers said newspapers and TV channels were frequently targeted in the state and most Maharashtra parties were guilty of either encouraging or backing such attacks or turning a blind eye.

... contd.