Ranas meet Speaker, complain about ill-treatment in custody
The MP has been asked to appear before the privilege committee of the Lok Sabha on May 23
MUMBAI: Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana on Monday met Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and complained about the illtreatment meted out to the MP in police and jail custody during their 12-day imprisonment. The MP has been asked to appear before the privilege committee of the lower house on May 23 for her statement, she said.
After meeting Birla, Rana said that she has complained against Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey and other ruling party leaders for the illtreatment and defamatory statements against her.
“I briefed Birlaji in detail about the treatment meted out to me during the police and jail custody. I have been asked to give my statement before a committee on May 23. I have demanded a probe to find out who had given orders for the action against us,” she said.
Further, she said that the lower house speaker was shocked by how a woman, that too a parliamentarian, was illtreated in jail.
“It is a breach of my privilege as a member of the lower house. I have given the names of the people who were responsible for the action against me and the treatment given to me,” she said. The MP also clarified that they respect the court and have not violated any bail conditions. Meanwhile, t he Mumbai police had moved the sessions court seeking cancellation of the bail for violations. The state has said that both Navneet and Ravi spoke to the media on Sunday after the MP was discharged from the hospital. The sessions court on Monday served them a show cause notice and asked for an explanation.
On May 4, the court had granted bail to the couple and also directed them not to commit a similar offence and not address the press on any subject related to the case registered against them.
The couple was arrested by the Mumbai police on April 23 under sedition charges and for promoting enmity between groups after they said that they would chant Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree, the family residence of chief minister Uddhav Thacekray in Bandra.
Navneet Rana’s husband, MLA Ravi Rana said that replying to the criticism against them was their fundamental right. “We have not violated any condition laid by the session court while granting us bail. The Indian Constitution has given us the right to reply to the criticism. We respect the court and follow the court orders. We have not violated any condition by the court, but gave a fitting reply to the allegations levelled by the CM,” he said.