Hanuman Chalisa row: Shiv Sainiks protest outside the residence of Rana couple

Independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife and member of Parliament Navneet Rana threatened to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s bungalow, Matoshree, if the latter doesn’t chant it on Hanuman Jayanti.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena leaders and party workers gathered outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s bungalow, Matoshree, in Bandra (East), as well as the residence of Independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife and member of Parliament Navneet Rana at Khar on Saturday after the couple threatened to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree if Thackeray doesn’t chant it on Hanuman Jayanti.

Shiv Sainiks gathered in large numbers outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s bungalow, Matoshree, as well as the residence of the Rana couple at Khar. (PTI)

Heavy deployment of police personnel was made outside Matoshree and outside Varsha, the CM’s official residence at Malabar Hill, to prevent a face-off between the Ranas and Shiv Sainiks.

Shiv Sena member of Parliament Vinayak Raut and Anil Desai, Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai reached Kala Nagar in Bandra east where Matoshree bungalow is situated on Friday afternoon.

Last week, Ravi Rana Independent legislator from Amravati said that if Thackeray doesn’t chant Hanuman Chalisa, he along with his wife would chant it outside Matoshree on April 23. While the Rana couple said that they would chant Hanuman Chalisa on Saturday, the couple arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning. Both Navneet and Ravi Rana support the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Raut, Sena MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, said that the Shiv Sainiks are prepared if the Rana couple reaches the vicinity of Matoshree. “If they want to recite Hanuman Chalisa, they should do so in their homes. But if they decide to do stunts, then we will give them a befitting reply. These attempts are being made by the BJP’s central leadership to defame the Shiv Sena and destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. This is the BJP’s conspiracy through the Rana couple,” said Raut, while speaking to media persons outside Matoshree. Sardesai, meanwhile, said that instead of threatening to reach Matoshree, the Rana couple must come once and the Shiv Sena will give them the “Maha Prasad”.

The issue of use of loudspeakers atop Mosques was raised by Mumbai BJP and later by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray earlier this month. Thackeray threatened to stage Hanuman Chalisa chanting outside mosques if loudspeakers were not removed from mosques. Rana couple also made the same demand and asked the chief minister to chant the Hanuman Chalisa hymns.

Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the BJP has started stunts in the name of Hindutva. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Raut said, “They (the Rana couple) are from the film world, so they are engaging in stunts. Shiv Sainiks are capable... Reciting Hanuman Chalisa or celebrating Ram Navami are matters of faith and religion. They are not issues of drama and stunts, but of late Bharatiya Janata Party has started stunts in the name of Hindutva. They (Rana) are characters of this stunt but the people do not take them seriously.”