Security tightened outside Matoshree as Rana, wife plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa

Hundreds of Shiv Sena workers also gathered outside Matoshree and even staged protests outside the couple’s house in Khar

Mumbai After independent Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ravi Rana and his wife independent Member of Parliament (MP) Navneet Rana threatened to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree on Saturday, security has been tightened outside the chief minister’s Bandra house.

Even after a police notice, the couple are adamant in their stand and plan on going ahead with their protest (Pratik Chorge/HT PHOTO)

Hundreds of Shiv Sena workers also gathered outside the Bandra house and even staged protests outside the couple’s house in Khar. Heavy police force has also been deployed outside Varsha, the CM’s official residence at Malabar Hills, to prevent a face-off between the Ranas and Shiv Sainiks.

Even after a police notice, the couple are adamant in their stand and plan on going ahead with their protest. The Shiv Sena leaders said that they plan to stop the couple outside their residence in Khar. “Local units of the party will be stationed outside their house throughout the night,” a functionary said. Other Shiv Sena workers said that the couple were propped up by the BJP to create a situation of unrest.

Meanwhile, after spending about four hours at Matoshree, Thackeray left for Varsha, his official residence. Before leaving, Thackeray walked up to Sena workers who had gathered there and urged them to go back to their homes.

“You all go home. Nobody will dare to come here. You all are here since the morning,” Thackeray was heard telling a group of party workers outside Matoshree. However, the Sainiks said they would camp outside the house.

Last week, Rana had said that if Thackeray doesn’t chant Hanuman Chalisa, he along with his wife would chant it outside Matoshree on April 23.

Speaking to the media outside their Khar residence, Ravi Rana said, “Uddhav Saheb has forgotten Hindutva, the ideology on which he sought votes and got seats (for his party). He has forgotten the teachings of Balasaheb. So, we will recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree at 9 am on Saturday to remind the CM of Balasaheb’s teachings. We will go peacefully and will not cause any inconvenience to Mumbaikars.”

He said the police had served them a notice under section 149 of the CRPC, asking them not to step out as it could disturb the law and order. He added, “We will proceed peacefully, but we are prepared to face action in the name of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman.”

The couple claimed that the recital was “essential to ward off the evil” that has set eyes on Maharashtra since the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government came to power.

‘We are independent lawmakers’

Reacting to the criticism that the two were bidding for BJP, Navneet Rane, who defeated Sena’s Anandrao Adsul in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, said that the Sena sought votes in the name of prime minister Narendra Modi and was in power because of BJP.

“We are Independent lawmakers. There are no elections now, so if I wanted some political mileage, I would have waited for that time. I had defeated the Shiv Sena candidate and was elected as an independent...Just because we are taking the name of the Lord, it doesn’t mean we are speaking at the behest of any party,” Navneet said.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena minister Anil Parab, MPs Vinayak Raut and Anil Desai, Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai reached Kala Nagar in Bandra east, where Matoshree is situated. The Sena leaders said that the couple should raise issues concerning people such as inflation and rising prices of fuel.

Raut, Sena MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, said that the Shiv Sainiks are prepared to ward off the couple. “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 BJP’s central leadership to defame the Shiv Sena and destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. This is the BJP’s conspiracy through the Rana couple,” alleged Raut.

Sardesai, meanwhile, said that instead of threatening to reach Matoshree, they must visit the CM’s house and the Shiv Sena will give them the ‘Maha Prasad’.

‘Stunts in the name of Hindutva’

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 such 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 people will not take them seriously.”

BJP legislator and former minister Ashish Shelar asked why the Sena was opposing this recital. “Are Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana terrorists or criminals? Why are the Shiv Sainiks taking law into their hands by opposing this? If they say that they are going to recite Hanuman Chalisa, then what is anti-national in this?” Shelar asked.