Former Advocate General of Maharashtra Shrihari Aney on Thursday had ink thrown at him while advocating a separate Vidarbha state during a public appearance at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Aney was in the city to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and seek his support for the the call to separate statehood. On March 22, Aney had resigned from his post after being slammed for suggesting that the people of Marathwada, another contentious region in Maharashtra, should fight for a state of their own.

Soon after the incident, Aney said, “Throwing ink at us will not stop our agitation for Vidarbha's statehood.” Local TV channels linked MLA Nitesh Rane, son of Congress leader Narayan Rane, to the attack, and quoted him as saying that Aney had caused offence by trying to break up Maharashtra.