Hanuman Chalisa Row: Now, NCP Leader Wants To Recite Scriptures of All Faith Outside PMO

Hanuman Chalisa Row: NCP leader Fahmida Hassan Khan has shot a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking nod to recite the Namaz, Hanuman Chalisa, Durga Chalisa, Namokar Mantra and more outside PM Modi's official residence at Delhi's Lok Kalyan Marg.

New Delhi: Amid the raging Hanuman Chalisa controversy, a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader has shot off a staggering letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his permission to recite scriptures of every religion in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg here. “I’ve asked HM Amit Shah for permission to chant prayers of every religion in front of PM Modi’s residence. If Hindutva, Jainism elevates for the country’s benefit to reduce inflation, unemployment, starvation, I’d like to do it”, news agency ANI quoted NCP Mumbai north district working president Fahmida Hasan Khan as saying.

Claiming that she recites the Hanuman Chalisa and celebrates Durga Puja at her home, the NCP leader said,”If Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana can enjoy the benefit of reading Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree (Uddhav Thackeray’s residence), we should be allowed to go to PM Modi’s residence in Delhi to offer Namaz, Hanuman Chalisa and Durga Chalisa.”

How The Controversy Began?

Raising the pitch for Hindutva, MNS president Raj Thackeray earlier last week said he will visit Ayodhya on June 5 to take darshan of Lord Ram and appealed to “Hindu brothers” to “be prepared” if loudspeakers are not removed from mosques by May 3.

Stating that loudspeakers relaying the ‘azaan’ call is more of a social issue than a religious one, Thackeray said that they don’t want peace in the society disturbed, “but if the use of loudspeakers continues then they (Muslims) will also have to listen to our prayers on loudspeakers”.

While the BJP supported the MNS leader’s demand, Sharad Pawar, NCP supremo said there was no need to take cognisance of Raj Thackeray’s remarks. “I do not take Raj Thackeray seriously. He speaks once in six months or a year,” Pawar said.

A week later, Amravati Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana, an MLA, announced their plan to chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ outside ‘Matoshree’.

Following this, Shiv Sena workers protested outside the residence of Navneet and Ravi Rana in their bid to stop them from reaching the Chief Minister’s residence.

Later, the Ranas withdrew their plan to chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ amid protests from Shiv Sena workers.

‘BJP Orchesterd ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ row’

Navneet Rana, Husband Ravi Rana Sent to 14-day Judicial Custody

On Sunday, Amravati MP Navneet Rana & husband MLA Ravi Rana were sent to judicial custody for 14-days by the Holiday and Sunday court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra.  The MP-MLA couple’s application will be heard by the court on April 29. The Mumbai Police has asked them to file their say on the bail plea on April 27.

Earlier in the day, the duo (Navneet and Ravi Rana) approach the Bombay High Court. Mumbai police said that their petition for cancellation of FIRs against them have been filed.

Who are Ravi and Navneet Rana?

• Ravi Rana, an independent MLA in the Maharashtra Assembly represents ther Badnera seat.
• He hogged the limelight in political sphere in the 2009 state elections by defeating the NCP candidate for the Badnera seat.
• His wife Navneet, a Punjabi by birth, is an independent MP from Maharashtra’s Amravati. She had done various South Indian films before joining politics.