Union minister Rane arrested over his Thackeray slap comment

The arrest came as ruling Shiv Sena workers took to the streets across the state, put up posters against Rane, and slapped them at Pune’s Deccan Gymkhana area with footwear. Sena workers vandalised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office In Amravati and set the party’s posters on fire

Union minister Narayan Rane was arrested on Tuesday after three cases were filed against him for his comments a day earlier that he wanted to “give a tight slap” to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly forgetting the year of India’s independence during a speech.

Union minister Narayan Rane. (HT file photo)

The arrest came as ruling Shiv Sena workers took to the streets across the state, put up posters against Rane, and slapped them at Pune’s Deccan Gymkhana area with footwear. Sena workers vandalised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office In Amravati and set the party’s posters on fire. Security was enhanced outside Rane’s residence in Mumbai even as BJP workers gathered there in his support.

Rane was taken into custody in Ratnagiri district, where he was travelling as part of tours the ministers inducted into the Union council ministers in July are conducting across the country. The tours were announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not introduce the ministers in Parliament last month due to Opposition protests.

Rane, who was taken to a police station, complained of high blood pressure and sugar levels and a doctor was called to examine him, PTI reported.

The Bombay high court earlier on Tuesday rejected a plea for an urgent hearing of Rane’s anticipatory bail application as he faced arrest for his comments.

Rane moved the court as Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey on Tuesday said he has ordered the formation of a team to arrest the minister and to produce him before a court. Three cases, including under India Penal Code’s sections 500 (defamation), 505(2) (mischief), 153-B (1)(c) (remarks likely to cause disharmony, or feeling of enmity or hatred or ill will), have been filed against Rane for the comments.

A sessions court in Ratnagiri earlier refused to hear Rane’s anticipatory bail plea.

A high court bench of justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar directed Rane’s lawyer, Aniket Nikam, to follow due procedure before approaching it. A separate application has also been filed for quashing the three cases registered against Rane in Nashik, Pune and Mahad.

Nikam approached the court after its lunch break concluded at 2.30 pm and mentioned the two applications seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the cases. The court asked Nikam to follow the procedure under the law by filing a praecipe to get the matter listed for hearing. Nikam also sought protection from coercive action including arrest pending hearing of the plea.

Nikam said for arrest for any offence which involves punishment of under 7 years, police have to issue a notice. He added this has not been issued in Rane’s case and hence the order for his arrest is illegal.

Pandey said they were following the rule book and the arrest order was issued as per the legal provisions. “We have followed legal provisions and will ensure that privileges of the parliamentarian are protected. Since, the Union minister is member of Rajya Sabha, we are bound to intimate chairman of the upper House in due course after the arrest.”

Hours before his arrest, Rane, who has been a bitter critic of Thackeray since he was expelled from Shiv Sena in 2005, maintained he has not violated any law. “I said had I been there, I would have slapped him for his ignorance of the year of Independence. I did not say that I would slap him. I know the legal provisions. I have not received any legal notice for the arrest and would not speak on the basis of media report. In fact, I will take action against media for false reports,” he said. Rane questioned why action was not taken against Thackeray for his similar statements. He did not elaborate.

Rane’s son, Nitesh, threatened a “befitting reply” if any action was taken against his father.

Maharashtra’s BJP chief, Chandrakant Patil, said they would not justify Rane’s remarks and added that the Union minister’s style is similar to the Thackerays and other Shiv Sena leaders. He added arrest cannot be the response to his comments. Patil said Union ministers, president, vice president and prime minister have protection from arrest. “The state authorities which have been given the arrest orders should be aware of it. We do not justify the statement by Rane. He should have been given warning for his statement.”

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised Pandey for issuing the arrest order while accusing the government of “misusing” the police force. “This would have been a non-cognisable offence. However, Nashik CP (Pandey) thinks he is above everyone. The way he has given directions of Rane’s arrest suggest his actions are motivated.”

Rane on Monday claimed Thackeray checked the year with his aides midway during the speech and called it shameful the chief minister “does not know” the year of independence. “He leaned back to inquire...during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given him a tight slap,” Rane told reporters in Raigad.

The Shiv Sena on Monday hit out at Rane for his comments saying he has lost his mental balance. “Rane was inducted in the (Union) Cabinet just to attack the Shiv Sena, and while doing his job, he stooped to a new low,” said Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Vinayak Raut. Raut has written to Modi seeking Rane’s removal from his Cabinet. “The Jan Ashirwad Yatra was meant to take the blessing of the people and it was a brainchild of Prime Minister. Rane has given a wrong turn to it. He has used derogatory and objectionable language against Thackery who holds a constitutional post. I have requested the removal of Rane from his Cabinet to uphold the sanctity of constitutional structure.”

Shiv Sena parted ways with its three-decade old ally, BJP, and formed the government in Maharashtra with Nationalist Congress Party and Congress in November 2019.