Mumbai: In an unprecedented development in the state political history, the Maharashtra Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested Union Minister Narayan Rane for his ‘slap slur’ remark against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, as an aggressive Shiv Sena protested vociferously all over the state.
This is said to be a first in the state when a serving Union Minister has been arrested and comes around 20 years after a union cabinet ministers, the late Murasoli Maran and TR Baalu, both in the government of the late Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, were nabbed by Chennai Police in June 2001.
In a day of fast-paced developments, a team of police personnel went to Rane’s camp in Sangameshwar in Ratnagiri in the Konkan region, whisked him off to a waiting vehicle and took him to the local police station for the other arrest-related formalities amidst tight security.
The sensational happenings came barely a couple of hours after Rane sharply dared that “nobody could do anything to him” or prevent him from “moving around freely”.
A team of senior police officers met Rane and later completed the arrest formalities even as a large number of his supporters and a huge posse of police were present.
Rane, whose health seemed to have deteriorated as he suffered from diabetes and hypertension, underwent a preliminary medical checkup and is expected to be taken to Nashik later.
Anticipating the arrest possibility, Rane’s team had moved the Bombay High Court seeking to stay the arrest but was declined urgent hearing in the matter.
Multiple police complaints have been filed against Rane with Police in Pune, Raigad, Nashik and at least two teams of Nashik and Pune police proceeded to nab the central minister.
This afternoon, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis had dropped hints at the upcoming possibilities, stating that if Rane was arrested, the party had kept a Plan B ready to carry forward the ongoing Jan Ashirwad Yatra.
However, while the BJP has categorically rejected Rane’s statements, the entire party will solidly stand behind him in the current crisis, Fadnavis assured.
The stunning arrest of Rane – a former Shiv Sena Chief Minister – is likely to trigger further bitterness with the party’s former ally, BJP, which went on a downslide after Thackeray joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party-Congress to head the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in November 2019.
Top leaders from both the NCP-Congress have flayed Rane’s remarks against the CM, even as angry Saniks went on protests throughout the state.
Even as a police team was closeted with Rane, one of his aides, Pramod Jathar claimed that “no arrest warrant has been produced and the police allegedly pleaded that they were under ‘pressure’ to arrest Rane in five minutes”.
Jathar contended that the police were not following the due protocols, nor showing the arrest warrant or other documents for the same and not revealing under whose alleged ‘pressure’ they were taking the action.
Angry Rane supporters and BJP activists raised anti-Maharashtra government slogans and threatened to block roads and highways till his “illegal arrest” was cancelled.
Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that the party stands solidly behind Rane and accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of ‘misusing’ the police to target the BJP leaders.
Addressing the media, he said that the party does not endorse Rane’s comment threatening to ‘slap’ the CM, but also would not tolerate any attempts by the MVA government to slap ‘cognisable offences’ against the Union Minister.
“The statements may attract non-cognisable charges, but they are illegally trying to make it ‘cognisable’ and police teams have been despatched to act against Rane. This will not stand in the courts,” Fadnavis asserted.
He further said that if Rane is arrested, the ongoing ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ will not be halted and it would be continued forward by others like Leader of Opposition (Council) Pravin Darekar, Ashish Shelar, etc.
“The government is taking prompt steps against Rane. But they did not show such speed to act vis-a-vis Sharjeel Usman who abused Bharat Mata and Hindutva in Maharashtra. The (MVA) has no courage” Fadnavis said.
The reference was to the Aligarh Muslim University student and anti-CAA activist who is facing a case under Pune Police for his statements on January 30 this year at an Elgar Parishad meeting.
Fadnavis’ comments came amid an all out agitation triggered by Rane’s statement of Monday night, with Shiv Sena and BJP activists coming in direct confrontation and police resorting to mild caning to control them.
Responding to Sena challenges that he would not be allowed to step out of Chiplun around in his Yatra, Rane dared anybody to come and stop him from moving around in his processions.
“They can do nothing. If they have the guts, ask them to come and see me. I am still going around freely, no?” Rane retorted sharply.
As the ruling MVA partners Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress stuck together, Sena activists staged massive demonstrations in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Amravati and other places.
Sena activists agitated by stone-pelting or vandalism at BJP offices, a mall allegedly linked with Rane in Pune, road blocks, tearing off BJP banners or hoardings, burning his effigies, carrying hens and beating his photos with shoes, sit-ins, a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to sack him, and offers to ‘bear the full cost of mental treatment’ for Rane at the Thane Mental Asylum.
Fadnavis issued a veiled warning that if the BJP offices were targeted and the police remained mute spectators, there would be repercussions as the BJP activists are also street-fighters who are fully capable of protecting themselves, but urged for restraint.
BJP state President Chandrakant Patil distanced himself from Rane’s comments, while Republican Party of India (A) President and Union MoS Ramdas Athawale pointed out that “Rane is a product of Shiv Sena and spoke the language they understand”.