Rane held after remarks against Thackeray
Handed over to Raigad police; clashes break out between Sena, BJP workers
Union minister Narayan Rane was arrested on Tuesday and taken to Mahad in Raigad district over his remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, which triggered a political row and protests. Rane had said that he would have slapped Thackeray over the latter’s ignorance of the year of independence.
Union minister Narayan Rane was arrested on Tuesday over his controversial remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, which triggered a political row and protests.
Rane had said he would have slapped Thackeray over the latter's ignorance of the year of India's independence.
After his arrest, Rane was taken to Mahad in Raigad district where he was likely to be produced before a court, police sources said.
Cases were registered against the BJP leader at Mahad as well as at Nashik and Pune as his remark set off angry protests by workers of the ruling Shiv Sena.
Rane was taken into custody at Golwali, the ancestral village of former RSS chief Sadashivrao Golwalkar 'Guruji' in Ratnagiri district during his `Jan Ashirwad Yatra', and taken to Sangameshwar police station. He was then handed over to Raigad police around 2.45 pm in connection with the FIR registered at Mahad, a police official said. 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 ).
Rane's supporters staged protests near the Sangameshwar police station after the arrest. After he was taken into custody, a doctor checked him. A BJP leader claimed that Rane had high blood pressure and sugar levels and doctors advised that he should be hospitalized as he is also a diabetes patient.
The arrest followed Rane's statement targeting Thackeray in Raigad district on Monday. “It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap,” Rane had said. He defended his remarks, saying he hasn't committed any crime by making them. On media reportage of his ‘imminent arrest’ in the case, Rane said hours before his arrest that he was not a ‘normal' man.
Rane's remarks drew sharp reactions from Shiv Sena, whose workers put a poster in Mumbai, calling him a chicken stealer, a reference to the poultry shop he ran in Chembur area five decades ago In Mumbai, activists of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Sena, and the BJP clashed with each other near Rane’s residence on the Juhu Tara Road in Santacruz (West).