Nashik’s top police officer orders immediate arrest of Narayan Rane for his remarks against Uddhav
Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey on Tuesday issued orders for the immediate arrest of Union Minister Narayan Rane after an FIR was registered against him in the north Maharashtra city over his remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
A team of Nashik police left for Ratnagiri district in the morning, where Rane is currently undertaking his Jan Ashirwad Yatra, an official said.
Rane had sparked a controversy over his remarks about slapping Chief Minister Thackeray for claiming the year of India’s independence as ignorance.
Rane said, “It is shameful that the Chief Minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back during his speech to ask about the counting of the years of independence. If I had been there, I would have given him a slap, Rane said. Said during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Raigad district on Monday.
The BJP leader and former Shiv Sena chief minister claimed that Thackeray forgot the year of independence while addressing the people of the state on August 15. Rane said Thackeray was supposed to see the year of independence along with his colleagues midway through the speech that day.
Following his remarks, a complaint was lodged against Rane at the Cyber Police Station by the Nashik city Shiv Sena unit chief.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against Rane in Nashik under sections 500 (defamation), 505 (2) (mischief), 153-B(1) (c) of the IPC. hatred or malice), a police officer said.
In view of the law and order situation in the entire state and Nashik in the wake of Rane’s remarks, Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey ordered an inquiry into the matter and the immediate arrest of the Union minister.
Accordingly, a team led by Nashik DCP (Crime) Sanjay Barkund and Police Inspector Anand Wagh and other officials was formed and it reached Chiplun in Ratnagiri to arrest Rane, the official said.
While the team was asked to arrest Rane and produce him in a Nashik court, the team was also directed to follow due process to arrest the Union minister, the official said.
Meanwhile, in Aurangabad, Shiv Sena spokesperson Ambadas Danve lodged a complaint against Rane at Kranti Chowk police station over Rane’s remarks against the chief minister.
Danve termed Rane’s remarks as “objectionable” and demanded action against the BJP leader.
Talking to reporters after filing a police complaint, Danve said, “Earlier Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray used to call Narayan Rane as ‘Naru’, which is the name of a disease in Marathi. Shiv Sena has a cure for this disease. He claimed that Rane made this statement to provoke Shiv Sena.
The MLC said that the Shiv Sena will oppose Rane’s statement by taking to the streets along with the constitutional process.
An official of Kranti Chowk police station in Aurangabad said that they have received the complaint of Shiv Sena and action will be taken on the instructions of senior officials.
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