Mumbai: MLA Ravi Rana and his wife, MP Navneet Rana were escorted out of their house by police, after the couple cancelled their plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra CM residence, on Saturday, April 23, 2022. (PTI Photo) Mumbai News: A metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai’s Bandra sent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana to a 14-day judicial custody Sunday, a day after they were arrested over their announcement of Hanuman Chalisa’s recital outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence ‘Matoshree’.
The next hearing is likely to be on April 29.
The police also slapped the charge of sedition against the couple. Special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said Section 124(A) has been invoked against them for hate and dislike that they invoked against the government and Chief Minister Thackeray.
This comes after another FIR has been registered against them at Khar Police Station on Saturday for allegedly “resisting arrest and “deterring public servants from discharging their duties”. Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singe said, “The second FIR against the Ranas is for allegedly resisting arrest and deterring public servants from discharging their duties when the police went to their house on Saturday to arrest them.”
Their arrest came hours after the couple announced that they are cancelling their plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence Matoshree.
The couple has been booked 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) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 135 (violation of prohibitory orders of police) of the Mumbai Police Act. Another FIR under section 53 (for assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) was registered against them.
The plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree had earned the Ranas the wrath of the Shiv Sena, whose party cadre tried to break through barricades and enter the building where they reside on Saturday morning, but were stopped by the police. This high voltage drama comes a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state.
MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana arrested on Saturday. ANI 🔴Take a look at more developments from Maharashtra
Fadnavis calls Ranas’ arrest ‘painful, embarrassing’ for Maharashtra
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis (File) BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday called the arrest of Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana by the Mumbai police “painful” and “embarrassing” for Maharashtra. He also highlighted that 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 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.”
Heart wrenching incidents in Maharashtra.
When there is no action on attacks on @BJP4Mumbai‘s #PolKhol Yatra & total ignorance towards threatening remarks for woman by #MVA leaders,MVA slapped IPC 153(A) on MP Navneet Rana & Ravi Rana who just came for chanting of#HanumanChalisa— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 23, 2022
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleges attack by Shiv Sena members, BJP expresses shock
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has alleged that the Mumbai police had refused to file a first information report (FIR) based on his complaint that he was attacked outside the Khar police station by Shiv Sena members on Saturday night.
I am injured, i am sitting in my car. Till action against police officials and Mafia Sena Gundas are not taken , I will stay in My Car at Bandra Police Station@BJP4India
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) April 23, 2022
BJP urge state home minister Dilip Walse Patil to take strong action against police. The opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis says attack on party leader Kirit Somaiya in Khar police station premises was shocking especially when Somaiya had in advance informed police about his visit to Khar police station. Moreover, Somaiya also has Z plus security.
The Bandra police, however, said that they had taken the complaint from Somaiya and prepared the FIR copy after taking his statement but it could not be registered officially as he had refused to sign it and the statement. Somaiya alleged that the police were filing the FIR with incorrect sections.
It’s a total collapse of law & order situation in Mumbai & Maharashtra!
Goons attacked @BJP4Maharashtra leader @KiritSomaiya ji right in front of Khar Police Station & in presence of police personnel.
This is absolutely unacceptable!
We demand strongest action !#Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/FXl7AMhQem— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 23, 2022
‘Not afraid of President’s Rule’: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut amid Hanuman Chalisa row
Sena leader Sanjay Raut. Amid agitation by Shiv Sena workers over Independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife Navneet Rana’s announcement to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of Chief Minister Thackeray, senior party leader Sanjay Raut said the Shiv Sena does not care about power. Raut added 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 power is for us. The 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.
Loudspeaker row: Maharashtra govt to hold all-party meet on Monday
The Maharashtra government will hold an all-party meeting on April 25 on the issue of loudspeakers at religious places and to ensure that there are no law-and-order issues in the state, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said. He added that an attempt was being made to create communal strife in Maharashtra with a view to imposing President’s Rule in the state.
“The Maharashtra government has called for an all-party meeting on April 25. We have invited two leaders each from prominent political parties in the state to discuss the Supreme Court’s 2005 judgment on loudspeakers. We hope to discuss the stand that the state needs to take on the issue of loudspeakers,” he said on Saturday.
BJP stoking political row over recital of Hanuman Chalisa, says Congress
In a veiled attack on the BJP, the Congress on Saturday said some people are creating a political controversy over the recital of Hanuman Chalisa to divert the people’s attention from the issues of unemployment and price rise.
Talking to reporters, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the Central government has “failed” on all fronts and people are suffering due to the hike in prices of fuel and unemployment.
Amit Shah failed to protect Delhi from communal violence: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar (File) NCP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah failed to protect Delhi, the country’s Capital, from communal riots. Speaking at a rally of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, Pawar referred to the violence that broke out in the Jahangirpuri area of Delhi during Hanuman Jayanti processions earlier this month.
“A few days back, Delhi was burning due to communal tensions. The state of Delhi is controlled by (chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal, but its police come under the Union Home Ministry handled by Amit Shah. Shah failed to protect the city from communal riots,” he said.
Maharashtra records highest Covid-19 cases since March 25
Maharashtra on Saturday reported 194 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest rise in a day after March 25, and one fatality, taking the state’s tally to 78,76,697 and the death toll to 1,47,832, a health official said. On March 25, Maharashtra reported 272 Covid-19 infections. Mumbai reported 72 Covid-19 cases, a slight rise in the daily addition after a fall for two consecutive days, a civic official said.
Communal clash: Night curfew in Achalpur and Paratwada; all accused sent to judicial custody
Four days after members of two communities clashed over the hoisting of a saffron flag, curfew was lifted in Achalpur city in Amravati on Friday. However, a night curfew – from 9 pm to 6 am – was imposed in Achalpur as well as its twin city Paratwada.
As a preventive measure, a curfew was also imposed in Paratwada from Sunday evening till Thursday morning. Following this, a night curfew was imposed in the area.
Elgaar Parishad case: Varavara Rao pleas dismissed
Elgaar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao (File) The Bombay High Court, while dismissing pleas filed by the Elgaar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao, who had sought permanent medical bail and permission to shift to Hyderabad citing ill health and high expenses in Mumbai, has directed that corrective measures be adopted to improve conditions and medical facilities at state prisons.
While Justice Sunil B Shukre and Justice Govinda A Sanap passed the verdict on April 13, a copy of the judgment was made available on Friday.
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