"I call upon the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) to stop this gunda raj," former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said in response to the attack on retired Naval officer Madan Sharma by Shiv Sena workers.

File photo of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis (Photo Credits: PTI)

Devendra Fadnavis, former chief minister of Maharashtra said on Saturday that the attack on a retired Naval officer in Mumbai was an act of "state-sponsored terror". The matter concerns one Madan Sharma who was assaulted by Shiv Sena workers in Kandivali over a cartoon he shared of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on WhatsApp.

Addressing reporters in Bihar's Ara, Fadnavis said, "What happened is very wrong, this is a kind of state-sponsored terror. As I did through my tweet yesterday, I call upon the Chief Minister to stop this gunda raj".

Fadnavis also pointed out that six people were arrested following media's coverage of the incident. However, all of them were released soon after on surety bonds of Rs 5,000 each.

Devendra Fadnavis reached Bihar on Friday ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The BJP's state in-charge, Fadnavis attended a meeting at the residence of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi along with party president JP Nadda.

Madan Sharma, the retired Naval officer who suffered an eye injury as a result of the assault has demanded security from the Maharashtra government.

"They can harm my children, my family and me. So I request the Chief Minister to provide security to my family and me. All workers and organisations of Uddhav Thackeray ji should seek apology from the entire nation, that such incident does not take place again with anyone else," Sharma told reporters.