News Analysis India

Tag: Ravi Rana

  • ‘Painful, embarrassing for Maharashtra’: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis decries arrest of Rana couple

    By PTI

    MUMBAI BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday called the arrest of MP Navneet Rana and her husband and MLA Ravi Rana by Mumbai Police “painful” and “embarrassing” for Maharashtra.

    He also said the police did not act when a leader of the ruling Shiv Sena made threatening statements or the car of a BJP leader was attacked, but arrested the Ranas when they arrived in Mumbai to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s house.

    In a series of tweets, Fadnavis said, “The incidents in Maharashtra are painful. No FIR was filed when Mohit Kamboj’s vehicle was attacked or when a leader talks about burying a woman representative 20 feet under the ground. But when the Rana couple comes to Mumbai to recite Hanuman Chalisa, they are immediately arrested.”

    इतकी दंडुकेशाही इतका अहंकारइतका द्वेषसत्तेचा इतका माजसरकारच करणार हिंसाचारएवढीच तुमची मदुर्मकसत्तेच्या मस्तीत कसेही वागून घ्यापण, जनता सारे काही पाहते आहे !निव्वळ लज्जास्पदलोकशाहीत मत मांडण्याचा अधिकार संपला?लोकशाहीचे गार्‍हाणे गाणारे आज सोयीस्कर गप्प का?
    — Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 23, 2022
    Kamboj, a Mumbai BJP leader, had claimed on Friday that his car was attacked near Matoshree, Chief Minister Thackeray’s private residence. Sena leader Raut said earlier on Saturday, without naming any person, that anyone who tried to test the patience of his party would be “buried 20 feet beneath the earth”.

    “Why is there so much arrogance of power? It is the state government that is instigating violence. Is your manhood limited to such behaviour,” Fadnavis, a former chief minister tweeted. “It is an utter embarrassment for the state to witness such a poor show. All this is happening before the people,” he added.

    He also asked if the arrest indicated that “people have lost their right to express their views”, and why those who speak about democratic values were “selectively silent”. Earlier in the day, speaking in Nagpur, Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government’s way of handling the entire episode was “very childish”.

    “If allowed, the Rana couple would have gone there (Matoshree), recited Hanuman Chalisa and returned without creating any news. I don’t understand why so many people had gathered at several places as if they (Rana couple) were planning some attack. What kind of politics is this?” the BJP leader said.

    Mumbai Police on Saturday evening arrested MLA Ravi Rana and his wife, MP Navneet Rana, both Independent legislators from eastern Maharashtra, for allegedly “creating enmity between different groups” after escorting them out of their house in suburban Khar amid high drama.

    The development came hours after the couple cancelled their plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence ‘Matoshree’ here.

  • Hindutva is in Shiv Sena’s blood, says Anil Desai as party workers try to break into MLA Ravi Rana’s residence 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena workers on Saturday morning broke through the barricades and tried to enter the premises of the Khar residence of Maharashtra MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana, who have decided to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s house here, police said.

    However, the police brought the situation under control and stopped the party workers from going further, an official said.

    The Ranas had on Friday said that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, the personal residence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in suburban Bandra at 9 am on Saturday.

    Talking to reporters, Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai said, “‘Matoshree’ is a temple for Shiv Sainiks. Hindutva is in Shiv Sena’s blood, nobody should teach us Hindutva. People are aware of the work done during the pandemic by CM Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.”

    Shiv Sena workers, who have strongly objected to the politician couple’s plan, have been camping outside ‘Matoshree’ since Friday morning.

    Taking an aggressive stand, the party leaders and workers have said they will not let the couple go back without ‘prasad’ “if they dared to turn up”.

    “Around 8.45 am, angry Shiv Sena supporters broke through the barricades placed at a distance of around 50 meters from the apartment where the Ranas own a flat in suburban Khar. They tried to enter the apartment premises. Shiv Sena supporters raised slogans in support of Thackeray and dared the couple to step out of the residence,” the police official said.

    However, the police personnel deployed at the spot brought the situation under control and dissuaded the party workers from indulging in anything that would create a law and order problem, he said.

    On Friday, Mumbai police had served a notice to Amaravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, Badnera MLA Ravi Rana, asking them not to disturb the law and order situation in the city.

    Navneet Rana has been provided Y category security by the central government.

    Ravi Rana had earlier told reporters here that he had demanded the chief minister read Hanuman Chalisa on Hanuman Jayanti “to rid Maharashtra of crises and attain peace for the state,” but Thackeray had “refused” to do so.

    The city police have stepped up security outside ‘Matoshree’.

    Barricades have been placed on the road leading to the Thackeray residence to avoid crowding, the official said.

    “In order to maintain law and order situation, the police have increased security and deployed large number of personnel outside ‘Matoshree’,” the official said.

    Early this morning, senior police officers, including zonal DCP Manjunath Singe, visited the place and took stock of security deployment, he said.

    Besides ‘Matoshree’, the police have also increased security at ‘Varsha’, the official residence of CM Thackeray in south Mumbai.

    A Shiv Sena supporter camping outside ‘Matoshree’ said, “We have accepted the challenge of the Rana couple. Let them come, we are ready to welcome them and give them ‘prasad’.”