Ravi Rana had earlier announced that he was calling off his proposed programme of reciting Hanuman Chalisa, with his wife, outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence Matoshree. (ANI/Twitter)Mumbai News, Hanuman Chalisa Row: Mumbai police have arrested Independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana. The Khar police have registered a case under section 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) against the Rana couple.
Ravi Rana had earlier announced that he was calling off his proposed programme of reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence Matoshree. He said, “We have decided to call off our proposed programme in view of the Prime Minister’s impending visit to the city and the hardship that the residents of the city and the police have had to face over the last few hours.”
Early on Saturday, Shiv Sena workers broke barricades and attempted to enter the residence of Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana, who had earlier announced that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree, the residence of Thackeray, to “ward off the calamities that have been hitting the state ever since Thackeray took over as chief minister”. The police, however, brought the situation under control, and requested Rana and his wife not to step out of their house. “If they step out, the law and order situation may go out of hand,” a police officer said.
Navneet and Ravi are independent legislators; Navneet represents Amravati Lok Sabha constituency, while Ravi was elected from the Badnera seat in Amravati district.
State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, reacting to the incident, appealed to elected representatives to conform to the law and behave in a manner which does not disturb peace in society. “All those who want to read Hanuman Chalisa can read it inside their homes,” he said. Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut, also commenting on the incident, said party leaders didn’t need police protection as “Sainiks are capable of protecting them”.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP targetted Thackeray for giving a free hand to Sena workers, and sought President’s Rule in the state. “CM has given a free hand to Sena to attack the BJP. This is the first time in Maharashtra that the ruling party which is part of a coalition government is taking law and order in its own hands,” BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said. Opposition leader in the state council Praveen Darekar said, “How did the police allow sainiks to reach an MP’s residence? There was no attempt to stop them. It shows the police is being misused by Sena to instil terror in the minds of people.”
Khar police have arrested MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana under section 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 34 of IPC r/w 37(1) and 135 of the Bombay police act.
Mumbai police have taken MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana to Khar police station.
From sharing the silver screen with southern heroes like Captain Vijayakanth and Mammootty to Baba Ramdev playing Cupid and asking them to tie the knot at a mass wedding ceremony, the husband and wife duo of MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana are never far from the limelight – their Independent status a blessing in disguise.
This past week, they also find themselves at the centre of calls, which first rose from the MNS camp, to recite Hanuman Chalisa in public if mosques continued to use loudspeakers for azaan and other announcements. With many parts of the country witnessing communal violence and tension during Hindu festivals in the ongoing Ramzan month, the Maharashtra government has been trying for a resolution. That seemed difficult Saturday after Shiv Sena men tried to enter the Rana residence in Mumbai, against their threats to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Hailing from Amravati district, the dominant political brain among the couple is Ravi Rana, 43, a three-time Independent MLA, who represents Badnera seat. (Read the complete story by Zeeshan Shaikh here)
Independent MLA Ravi Rana announced that he was calling off his proposed programme of reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence Matoshree.
He said, “We have decided to call off our proposed programme in view of the Prime Minister’s impending visit to the city and the hardship that the residents of the city and the police have had to face over the last few hours.”
Maharashtra BJP leaders on Saturday criticised the Shiv Sena for allegedly “unleashing a mob violence” by breaking the barricades and attempting to enter the residence of MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana, after the duo said they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree, the residence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The BJP accused Thackeray for “giving a free hand to Shiv Sena workers to attack BJP.” Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council, Praveen Darekar said Maharashtra was witnessing a “Shiv Sena sponsored goondagiri.”
State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, reacting to the incident, appealed to elected representatives to conform to the law and behave in a manner which does not disturb peace in society. “All those who want to read Hanuman Chalisa can read it inside their homes,” he said. Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut, also commenting on the incident, said party leaders didn’t need police protection as “Sainiks are capable of protecting them”.
Amid agitation by Shiv Sena workers over the Hanuman Chalisa row, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said Shiv Sena is not born for the power, but power is for Shiv Sena. He highlighted that the party is not afraid of a President’s rule in Maharashtra.
“Don’t threaten us with the imposition of the President’s rule in Maharashtra. I have just spoken with the CM (Uddhav Thackeray). We have gone beyond the President’s rule, CBI and ED. We don’t care about power. We are not born for power. (Shiv Sena supremo) Balasaheb (Thackeray) had said that we are not born for power but the power is for us. Shiv Sena itself is a power. If you want to taste it, you can. Some people have experienced it earlier,” said Raut while speaking to the media in Nagpur.
The Mumbai police on Saturday managed to thwart the attempt of Shiv Sena workers to enter the residence of the Ranas in Khar and brought the situation under control. The police said that the husband-wife duo was to leave their house around 9 am to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree but citing security reasons, the police requested them to stay at home.
“If they step out, the law and order situation may go out of hand,” said a police officer.
Shiv Sena workers early on Saturday broke barricades and attempted to enter the residence of MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana after the duo reportedly said they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree, the residence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
To mock Ravi and Navneet, Shiv Sena workers had also brought an ambulance near their house with a message “reserved for Bunty and Bubli” pasted on it.
In the evening, the CM left for Varsha, urging party workers to go home. “You please go home. Nobody has the guts to come here (at Matoshree). I request you to please go home. You have been here all day,” Thackeray was heard urging party workers while leaving Matoshree.
In the evening, the CM left for Varsha, urging party workers to go home. “You please go home. Nobody has the guts to come here (at Matoshree). I request you to please go home. You have been here all day,” Thackeray was heard urging party workers while leaving Matoshree.