Union Minister Narayan Rane, who was arrested by the police at around 2.25pm on Tuesday for threatening to slap Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, was granted bail late night. He was physically produced before a court in Mahad, where his lawyers sought bail on health grounds.
Rane, who was touring the state for the BJP’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ from Mumbai to Sindhudurg, made the comments during a rally in Chiplun, Ratnagiri district, on Monday night. The BJP leader had claimed that Thackeray forgot the year of independence during his August 15 address to the people of the state and had to check the detail with his aides midway during the speech.
Meanwhile, sources in the Maharashtra government exclusively told CNN-News18, “The idea was to send a message across that nobody is above law. No problem with Rane getting bail and no intention of pursuing cases against the Union minister.” “The message is loud and clear, derogatory statements won’t be tolerated. The dignity of office should be maintained,” sources added.
Top sources in the Shiv Sena told CNN-News18 that this is the “end of the matter from our side”, and that no further action will be taken against Rane even if two more FIRs have been registered.
Rane was produced before magistrate Shaikhbabaso Patil by the Mahad police. His lawyer Aniket Nikam said the police have failed to follow due process of law before arresting Rane. A notice has to be issued under section 41A of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) before arresting someone in cases where custodial interrogation is not required, he said.
Rane faced four FIRs across Maharashtra over his remark. He was arrested in the afternoon by the Ratnagiri police and taken to Mahad in Raigad district. The FIR at Mahad was registered under IPC sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief).
BJP Cancels Protest Tomorrow
The BJP, meanwhile, said they won’t hold demontsrations across the state on Wednesday, which the party had earlier called to protest Rane’s arrest. Chandrakant Patil, Maharashtra BJP president, said the party would continue with the Jan Ashirwad Yatra despite the prohibitory orders in Sindhudurg. “Victory of truth. The court has shown this government its place,” he added.
Earlier in the day, slamming the Maharashtra government for the arrest of Rane, BJP president J P Nadda said it was violative of constitutional values, and his party will not be be cowed down by such actions. In a tweet, Nadda said the “huge” response the BJP has received in its ‘Jan Aashirvad Yatra’ has jolted its rivals. “We fight democratically. The yatra will continue,” he said. Rane was arrested on Tuesday over his remarks about slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for what he claimed was the latter’s ignorance of the year of India’s independence.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also came down heavily on the Uddhav government, saying that action against Rane is “absolute vendetta”. “We strongly condemn this gross misuse of police force & suppression. Sharjeel Usmani is free & Narayan Rane arrested. This is their Hindutva & This is what Maharashtra looks like,” he tweeted.
SENA-BJP WORKERS CLASH
Rane’s remarks drew sharp reactions from Shiv Sena, whose workers put several posters in Mumbai and other places, calling him a ‘kombdi chor’ (chicken stealer), a reference to the poultry shop he ran in Mumbai’s Chembur area five decades ago, during the initial part of his over four-decade stint with the Bal Thackeray-led party. Activists of Shiv Sena and its youth wing staged protests in various cities across Maharashtra against Rane.
In Pune’s Deccan Gymkhana area, Sena workers slapped posters of Rane with footwear. Yuva Sena workers staged a demonstration in Hadapsar. A stone was hurled at a mall located on JM Road in Pune, a police official said.
In Amravati, Sena workers vandalised the BJP office located in the Rajapeth area and also set various posters installed in front of the office on fire in protest against Rane’s remarks. No BJP office-bearer or party worker was present in the office at the time of the incident.
Sena activists poured petrol, brought by them in bottles, on the posters installed outside the office and set them afire around noon. They also hurled stones at the office. Heavy police security was deployed outside Rane’s residence in Mumbai in the wake of his remarks against Thackeray, an official said.
BJP workers had gathered outside Rane’s residence on Juhu Tara Road in Santacruz (West) in the morning in support of their party leader. Shiv Sena workers carrying placards and shouting slogans against Rane assembled in the Juhu area.
(With PTI inputs)
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