Hanuman Chalisa Row: MP Navneet Rana, Husband Held for 'Promoting Enmity Between Different Groups'

Police will present Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, MLA Ravi Rana, before the Bandra holiday court on Sunday. Police are collecting all videos and press conference footage of the couple for analysis, Mumbai Police said.

After the two leaders were taken into custody on Saturday and booked for “promoting enmity between different groups” under a case registered at Khar police station, Navneet Rana and her husband have submitted a written complaint to Mumbai Police requesting it to book Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena leaders Anil Parab, Sanjay Raut as well as 700 people present outside their residence.

After high drama throughout the day ending with a heated argument with police at their Khar residence, the couple was arrested after calling off the stir outside Thackeray’s family residence ‘Matoshree’ amid stiff resistance by the ruling Shiv Sena. They gave up their plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside the CM’s residence, citing they did not want to disturb the law and order situation in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city for an event.

The Ranas were booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code as well as relevant sections of the Bombay Police Act. A police team from Khar is conducting an investigation.

In a Facebook Live posted on her official handle on the social networking site, Navneet Rana and the cops can be seen having a heated conversation. In the video, the MP is saying she “cannot be touched without a warrant” while her husband looks on. In one instance, she is also heard asking the police to “lower their tone as she is an MP”.

Navneet Rana told news agency ANI that their aim had been fulfilled as “bhakts” chanted the Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’. “Our aim was fulfilled, though Ravi Rana and I couldn’t reach ‘Matoshree’ (CM Uddhav Thackeray’s residence), Hanuman Chalisa supposed to be chanted by us was chanted by bhakts outside the CM’s residence,” ANI quoted Naveent Rana as saying.

The Ranas announced the decision to give up their plan while speaking to the media in the afternoon at their residence in suburban Khar, outside which a large number of Shiv Sena workers were camping since morning, taking an aggressive stand that if the politician couple tried going ahead with their plan, they would be taught a lesson.

The Rana couple on Friday had said they were firm on their plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, the personal residence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in suburban Bandra. In the morning, Shiv Sena workers broke through the barricades and tried to enter the premises of their Khar residence. But the situation was brought under control by police, who later asked the couple not to step out of their house as the situation may escalate due to the presence of a large number of Sena activists.

Addressing the press conference, Ravi Rana, who is an independent MLA from Badnera in Amravati district, said, “Leader of Opposition and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to me and told me about Prime Minister Narendra Modi being honoured with Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award on Sunday. Therefore, in order to avoid any untoward incident a day before the programme today, we decided to withdraw our decision to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of CM Uddhav Thackeray.”

“As a CM, Fadnavis brought huge development to Maharashtra, whereas Uddhav Thackeray has not done anything in the last two and half years of his tenure. If there is an iota of late Balasaheb Thackeray’s thoughts left in Uddhav Thackeray, he should not distance himself from the Hindutva ideology,” he added.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit Mumbai on Sunday to accept the award, he said, adding that they did not want to create any situation that would affect that event. On Friday, Mumbai Police had served a notice to the couple, asking them not to disturb the law and order situation in the city.

Rana had earlier said he had demanded the CM read Hanuman Chalisa on Hanuman Jayanti “to rid Maharashtra of crises and attain peace for the state”, but Thackeray had “refused” to do so. Rana had supported the BJP-Sena government during 2014-19. His demand followed MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s ‘ultimatum’ to the state government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3. He had threatened to play Hanuman Chalisa outside the mosques if the demand was not met. The BJP supported Raj’s demand.

‘Matoshree’, the family home of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, was turned into a fortress by Mumbai police personnel and hundreds of Shiv Sena workers on Saturday after the two leaders announced that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside the CM’s residence. However, before the couple could reach Bandra, some Sena supporters allegedly protested outside their house, heckled them and threw stones at their home.

“Maharashtra CM ordered Shiv Sena workers to heckle us. They’re breaking the barricades. I’m reiterating that I’ll go outside and will chant Hanuman Chalisa at ‘Matoshree’. CM only knows how to throw people in jail,” said Navneet Rana as Shiv Sena workers protested outside their residence in Mumbai. Some Sena workers also parked an ambulance with posters of Bollywood movie ‘Bunty aur Babli’ outside ‘Matoshree’, and said the vehicle was for the couple.

Speaking to News18, Ravi Rana alleged that Shiv Sainiks were throwing stones at their house and they have been “placed under house arrest by police”. Home minister Dilip Walse-Patil, however, said the claims were false. “I have personally spoken to police in Amravati, the situation is under control and protection is being provided at her residence.”

Walse-Patil said, “The law and order situation in Mumbai and Maharashtra is very good. Some people are trying to show that there is no peace and decorum here.”

Shiv Sena leader Anil Desai, who was deployed outside ‘Matoshree’, said, “They (MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana) have challenged the law and order situation. They were prompted to do this by someone. Shiv Sena workers are here to protect ‘Matoshree’. Police are taking care of the situation.”

The CM, who resides at his official residence Varsha in South Mumbai, arrived at Matoshree on Friday afternoon with his son, environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, and addressed the crowd. Shiv Sena leaders, including MPs Vinayak Raut and Anil Desai, were also present.

“Please go home. Nobody has the guts to come here. You have been here throughout the day. I request you to go home,” Thackeray was quoted telling Shiv Sainiks.

(With PTI inputs)

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