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Mumbai: MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana, who were firm on reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, called off their agitation to march to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private home in Bandra. MLA Rana claimed that the agitation was being withdrawn in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai tomorrow (Sunday, April 24) to avoid any law-and-order situation from cropping up.
The duo claimed that they were not under any kind of pressure or scared by the Maha Vikas Aghadi or the Shiv Sena, but were dropping their plans in honour of the PM’s trip to Mumbai. “This was not an agitation. We just wanted to go to the CM’s home and recite Hanuman Chalisa with full faith to remind him of the forgotten ideals of the late Shiv Sena founder the late Balasaheb Thackeray. We were stopped from going there, we were gheraoed, our Amravati home was attacked. But now we have withdrawn our plans,” Rana said.
Moments after calling off the agitation, MP Navneet Rana said: “Our aim was fulfilled, though Ravi Rana and I couldn’t reach ‘Matoshree’ (CM Uddhav Thackeray’s residence), Hanuman chalisa that was supposed to be chanted by us was chanted by bhakts outside the CM’s residence.”
MP Navneet Rana said Uddhav Thackeray is creating a “Bengal-like situation in Maharashtra”. “Shiv Sena has become a party of goons. CM Uddhav Thackeray only knows how to file offences against people and put them behind bars. He’s creating a Bengal-like situation in Maharashtra,” Navneet Rana said.
Maharashtra | Our aim was fulfilled, though Ravi Rana & I couldn't reach 'Matoshree' (CM Uddhav Thackeray's residence), Hanuman chalisa that was supposed to be chanted by us was chanted by bhakts outside the CM's residence: Amravati MP Navneet Rana on Hanuman Chalisa controversy pic.twitter.com/tDdkPZcCw1
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2022
Maharashtra | Mumbai Police take Amravati MP Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana to Khar Police Station. pic.twitter.com/ojdxhTXiGV
— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2022
Mumbai Police arrested MLA Ravi Rana and his wife, MP Navneet Rana for allegedly “creating enmity between different groups” after escorting them out of their house in suburban Khar here amid high drama. The Ranas were booked under IPC section 153 (A) (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 section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act (violation of prohibitory orders of police), said an official of the Khar police station in western Mumbai.
MP-MLA couple (Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana) tried to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, the private residence of Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray, as part of a conspiracy to disturb the law and order situation in the state, claimed Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Saturday.
Patil claimed that the attempt to disturb the law and order situation of Maharashtra by MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana is being done at the behest of someone else. “Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana want to tarnish the state government’s image and spoil the atmosphere. What’s the need to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’. They can do it at their home,” said Patil.
Patil claimed that the MP-MLA couple doesn’t have the courage to chant Hanuman Chalisa “this way at Matoshree”. Over the issue of Shiv Sena workers protesting outside the residence of the couple, Patil said, “If someone tries to enter Matoshree like this, then obviously Shiv Saniks will agitate.”
“Police are capable of handling the law and orders situation in the state and whoever tries to disturb it will not be spared,” he added.
Badnera MLA Ravi Rana on Saturday claimed that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is misusing his power through police as they are not allowing him and his wife MP Navneet Rana to step out of their house. “Police aren’t allowing us to step outside our house. Chief Minister has given them the instruction to do so and Shiv Sena workers are trying to attack our residence…Maharashtra CM is misusing his power,” said MLA Ravi Rana in his social media post.
Shiv Sena workers on Saturday staged a huge protest outside the residence of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana who had announced their plan to chant “Hanuman Chalisa” outside Matoshree, the private residence of Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray. The party workers also gathered outside the Matoshree to stop the MP-MLA couple from going ahead with their plan.
In order to maintain a law and order situation, the police have increased security and deployed a large number of personnel outside ‘Matoshree’. Early this morning, senior police officers, including zonal DCP Manjunath Singe, visited the place and took stock of security deployment.
Besides ‘Matoshree’, the police have also increased security at ‘Varsha’, the official residence of CM Thackeray in south Mumbai.
However, despite security arrangements, Shiv Sena workers broke through the barricades and tried to enter the premises of the Khar residence of Maharashtra MLA Ravi Rana and his wife MP Navneet Rana. The police later brought the situation under control and stopped the party workers from going further.
“Around 8.45 am, angry Shiv Sena supporters broke through the barricades placed at a distance of around 50 meters from the apartment where the Ranas own a flat in suburban Khar. They tried to enter the apartment premises. Shiv Sena supporters raised slogans in support of Thackeray and dared the couple to step out of the residence,” the police official said.
The Ranas had on Friday said that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’ in suburban Bandra at 9 am on Saturday. Shiv Sena workers, who have strongly objected to the politician couple’s plan, have been camping outside ‘Matoshree’ since Friday morning.
Taking an aggressive stance, the party leaders and workers have said they will not let the couple go back without ‘prasad’ “if they dared to turn up”.
“We are waiting, we’ll keep Hanuman Chalisa in front of us. We’re waiting to teach them a lesson,” said Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar outside ‘Matoshree’ in Mumbai.
On Friday, Mumbai police had served a notice to Amaravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, Badnera MLA Ravi Rana, asking them not to disturb the law and order situation in the city. Navneet Rana has been provided Y category security by the central government.
Ravi Rana had earlier told reporters here that he had demanded the chief minister read Hanuman Chalisa on Hanuman Jayanti “to rid Maharashtra of crises and attain peace for the state,” but Thackeray had “refused” to do so.
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