Thrashed by Shiv Sena workers, Madan Sharma shows naval ID card refuting 'Merchant Navy' claims

Posts suggesting that Madan Sharma was formerly in the Merchant Navy and not the Indian Navy are doing rounds on social media. Sharma was assaulted by Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai for sharing a cartoon critical of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Madan Sharma, the 65-year-old who was thrashed in Mumbai by Shiv Sena workers has reportedly responded to claims about his service in the Navy. On Sunday, a photo of his ID card from the Navy surfaced on social media platforms.

The ID card (MAH-01/013527) carries the registration number "201814-W". In addition to listing his Regimen/Corps as "Navy" and his Rank as "CHEL(P)" which stands for 'Chief Electrical Power'. This rank is the Indian equivalent of the British Royal Navy's electrical artificer and is awarded to an electrical technician competent in the electrical maintenance of a ship's machinery.

Further, the same ID card shows his date of discharge from the Navy as October 31, 1990.

Sharma's ID card emerged on Sunday after social media users posted pictures of a Facebook profile with his name and picture. In the profile, Madan Sharma's profession is listed as "Merchant Navy". These pictures are being used to infer that Sharma lied about his career as a former naval officer.

While Merchant Navy is commercial and involves both private and government shipping companies, the Navy is the maritime arm of a nation's armed forces.

Interestingly, the Facebook profile shows no posts, no friends, and no other details apart from a photo of Sharma with a young boy. The profile in question seems to have been created in July, 2016. Madan Sharma is yet to respond whether the Facebook profile is his own or not.

Earlier this month, Sharma was assaulted by Shiv Sena workers in the compound of his residence in Mumbai's Kandivali (east). He suffered an eye injury as a result of the assault which was caught on CCTV camera.

Reports suggest that Sharma had shared a cartoon critical of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on a WhatsApp group. Mumbai Police later arrested six people in connection with the assault, including a Shiv Sena shakha pramukh. All of the accused were granted bail within hours after furnishing a surety of Rs 5,000 each.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Sharma over the phone and inquired about his health while Union Minister Ramdas Athawale visited the injured 65-year-old at his residence on Saturday. A group called Veteran Officers of Armed Forces of India also released a statement condemning the attack on Sharma. This statement was signed by more than 300 retired servicemen, including a former air chief and a former vice admiral.