Fadnavis rebukes Nitesh Rane over his language after Sena complaint

CM told reporters that he has asked the BJP leader to avoid using such language and claimed the state fisheries and ports minister accepted his mistake

Mumbai: Maharashtra chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday rebuked controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Nitesh Rane for his recent provocative language directed towards ally Shiv Sena, when he implied that Fadnavis is the “baap” (father, implying boss) of everyone in the state. Fadnavis told reporters that he has asked Rane to avoid using such language and claimed the state fisheries and ports minister accepted his mistake.

Mumbai, India - August 06, 2022: BJP leader Nitesh Rane addresses the media during a press conference at BJP Office, Nariman Point, in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, August 06, 2022. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

While addressing party workers in the Dharashiv district on Saturday, Rane had said in Marathi, “The prime minister is from the BJP at the Centre and the [Maharashtra] chief minister is also from the BJP. So no matter who shows power, the father of everyone in Maharashtra is Devendra Fadnavis.”

The comments were made against the backdrop of friction between the local units of the BJP and Shiv Sena in Dharashiv over the sanctioning of projects under the District Planning and Development Fund. It was an apparent dig at Dharashiv’s guardian minister, Pratap Sarnaik, from the Shiv Sena.

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena ministers Dada Bhuse, Gulabrao Patil, Shambhuraj Desai and others met Fadnavis and complained to him about Rane’s language. Addressing the matter at a press conference on Tuesday, Fadnavis said, “It is wrong to speak about anybody’s father. I have spoken to the concerned minister, who said he didn’t mean it [as an insult to Shiv Sena]. I told him that perception matters in politics and not what he meant. He has been told to avoid such statements. He has accepted his mistake.”

Earlier, Nitesh’s brother and Shiv Sena leader Nilesh also expressed displeasure over his remarks, saying on social media, “We must not forget that we are in the Mahayuti [alliance].”

Nitesh Rane has been at the centre of several controversies due to his provocative statements. This was the second time he was snubbed by Fadnavis. In September 2024, Fadnavis had warned Rane after he threatened violence against Muslims, for which he was booked. In April, the Maharashtra State Minority Commission chief Pyare Khan criticised Rane for repeatedly “giving such hate speeches”.

Meanwhile, the Ranes are also involved in a public spat with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Prakash Mahajan, brother of the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. Prakash Mahajan has alleged that Nitesh and Nilesh Rane’s father, former union minister Narayan Rane, threatened him with violence. He said that if any harm came to him, Rane should be held accountable, while also requesting Fadnavis to provide him police protection.

This was after Mahajan criticised Nitesh Rane for mocking the possible tie-up between the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). In response, Narayan Rane posted on social media, “If you have come in the Ranes’ path, I will certainly show you the right path.....Prakash Mahajan, you are speaking more than your worth. If you speak again, I will make you vomit.”