Ranas withdraw plan to recite Chalisa, held

MUMBAI: The stand-off between Shiv Sena and the Rana couple independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife and Amravati MP Navneet Kaur Rana - came to an end on Saturday afternoon, with the arrest of the duo from their residence, after a case was filed at Khar police station.

However, the Ranas had called off their plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa in front of Matoshree, the family residence of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, in view of prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai on Sunday.

The PM will be in the city to receive an award instituted in the memory of late singer Lata Mangeshkar.

A high-voltage drama was witnessed at Khar after hundreds of Shiv Sainiks gathered and surrounded the Rana residence to prevent the couple from reaching Matoshree at Kalanagar in Bandra East.

Ravi Rana said they were withdrawing the agitation as he was sure that people would show him (Thackeray) his place. “We are backing down to prevent further deterioration of the law and order, inconvenience to citizens, and the possible cancellation of the prime minister’s visit. We took this decision after talking to leader of the opposition Devendra Fadnavis,” he said and added that there was no pressure to withdraw the protest.

“Injustice is perpetrated on us at the behest of the chief minister and the government,” he said, while asking for action to be taken against Thackeray, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, and transport minister Anil Parab. He alleged that Raut had used indecent language against them. Navneet Kaur blamed the CM for ditching Hindutva. Rana further claimed that his residence at Amravati was stoned by Sena workers.

Raut said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was using the Ranas as proxies to attack the state government. “They want to spoil the environment in Maharashtra and spread anarchy. They are using such people to attack us since they themselves don’t have the courage to do so,” he said.

Pravin Darekar, leader of opposition in the council, claimed that “an anarchy like situation” was prevailing in Maharashtra, and considering this, President’s rule must be imposed. However, BJP leader Ashish Shelar said this was not the party’s demand.

Mahadev Nimbalkar, senior police inspector of Khar police station, said the couple would be produced before a court at Bandra on Sunday.