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Maharashtra BJP panel meets MoS home Nityanand Rai, seeks ‘assault’ probe
There have been protests by right-wing groups and opposition parties in recent days over the use of loudspeakers in mosques in the state.
Law and order has collapsed in Maharashtra, a delegation of opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders complained to junior home minister Nityanand Rai and home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in New Delhi, and asked the central government to take serious note of the situation.
There have been protests by right-wing groups and opposition parties in recent days over the use of loudspeakers in mosques in the state. An announcement by two independent lawmakers that they were going to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s home to remind him of his Hindutva roots also led to confrontations between supporters of the Shiv Sena and the BJP over the weekend.
The delegation of BJP lawmakers from Maharashtra, led by former parliamentarian Kirit Somaiya, demanded that a special investigation team from the Union home ministry probe a confrontation between Sena workers and Somaiya on April 23 when at least four people, including a former Mumbai mayor, were arrested and a first information report (FIR) filed against Somaiya’s driver for rash driving, which led to injuries among some Sena workers.
The Shiv Sena, which is part of the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government, called the meeting a “ploy to defame Maharashtra”.
Breaking his silence over the controversy, chief minister Thackeray said on Monday that anybody could chant the Hanuman Chalisa at his residence, but no one had the right to threaten the Shiv Sena. “If anyone is resorting to dadagiri (hooliganism), we also know how to do it,” he said.
The delegation, which also consisted of four BJP MLAs — Mihir Kotecha, Parag Shah, Rahul Narvekar, Amit Satam — and BJP councillor Vinod Mishra, submitted a memorandum that stated Somaiya was assaulted by “70-80 Shiv Sena workers” with stones, bottles and slippers. The leaders said that Mumbai police supported the attackers, who broke the window of Somaiya’s car and injured the former parliamentarian.
“The home ministry should probe the attack by setting up an SIT. The CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) should be asked to register an FIR (first information report) for the attack on the security personnel in the security squad of Somaiya and strict action be taken against the Shiv Sena workers involved in the attack,” the memorandum stated.
“Nityanand Rai assured the BJP delegation to take appropriate steps to stop abuse of power and assault,” Somaiya tweeted after the meeting.
Somaiya has Z-plus security — the highest category of security cover — of CISF personnel. He had earlier written to the Union home ministry to review his security arrangements after he claimed he was attacked by Sena workers in Pune in February.
Former Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar was among four persons arrested and later released on bail on Monday in connection with the attack, which took place on Saturday after Somaiya visited lawmakers, parliamentarian from Amravati Navneet Rana and Badnera legislator Ravi Rana, at a suburban police station shortly after their arrest.
The Rana duo had announced that they will chant prayers outside Matoshree, the chief minister’s private residence, following which Shiv Sena workers gathered in large numbers outside their home and Matoshree.
Though the duo later rescinded the plan, police arrested both under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony).
Navneet Rana wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Monday, stating that her arrest was illegal. She alleged “inhuman treatment” while in police custody. The two are in judicial custody for 14 days and a sedition charge has been slapped against them.
Former chief minister and current leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis wrote to home secretary Bhalla that there was a complete collapse of law and order in the state, and that the ruling coalition was misusing police.
“The Mumbai police, which is one of the best police forces in the country, is being used as servants by the ruling MVA government. The police have not taken the incident of the attack on Somaiya, who enjoys Z-plus category security seriously, and in fact, have indirectly justified it,” he wrote. “No action has been taken against the attackers for political reasons. In the wake of the deteriorated law and order situation, the breach of fundamental rights of the opposition and the anarchy like situation in the state, the home department is requested to take immediate steps.”
“BJP leaders were murdered in the West Bengal and Kerala and a similar situation prevails in Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said at a media briefing at his party office in Nariman Point on Monday evening. “Kirit Somaiya was attacked thrice, there was a life-threatening attack on (BJP party leader) Mohit Kamboj two days ago. All this has been happening on the direction of the office of the chief minister.”
Navneet Rana was ill-treated by police while she was in custody on Saturday, Fadnavis alleged.
“She was denied access to drinking water and the washroom. She was abused by police referring to her caste,” he said. “Such treatment of a woman prisoner is unacceptable. A formal complaint has been made by her to the speaker of Lok Sabha.”
Sena leader and parliamentarian Sanjay Raut countered the BJP’s allegations, saying that whether the Centre should examine the situation in Uttar Pradesh, where 17 rape cases have been registered in the past three months alone, to determine where President’s Rule should be applied.
Maharashtra BJP leaders should have first met Thackeray or state home minister Dilip Walse Patil to raise any issue over the law and order situation in the state, Raut said.
“If they were dissatisfied with the action, then they could meet the Union home minister or home secretary,” he added, calling this “a ploy” to “defame” Maharashtra.
“I do not know who went (to meet the union home secretary). A delegation of some leaders might have gone; somebody bled a little so they are demanding Presidents’ rule in Maharashtra. What has happened in Maharashtra?” Raut asked. “Uttar Pradesh saw 17 rapes and murders in the last three months. So, will you impose the Presidents’ rule there? Law and order is a state subject. (Chief Minister) Yogi ji will handle it; he is capable. In Maharashtra, work is going on under the leadership of Uddhav ji. Some people run to Delhi and defame Maharashtra,” Raut said.
Speaking to media persons in Delhi about the FIR registered against his driver for injuring Sena workers by driving into them, Somaiya claimed the “bogus” complaint was filed on the behest of Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey.
“Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey gave orders to file a bogus complaint against the attack on me. Such mafia-giri (hooliganism) happened under his direction. I have given proof (to union home ministry),” he said. “The IPS officer is cheating, and we have demanded that he must be probed by the department of policy and personnel.”
“Sanjay Pandey is a capable officer. He is an impartial and honest officer,” Raut countered. “Therefore, such allegations should not be levelled on good officers.”
The Shiv Sena, a long-time BJP ally that broke ties with the saffron party in 2019 following the assembly poll results, is going against its founding Hindutva tenets, BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said on Monday.
“The late Bal Thackeray’s soul must be crying. The new Shiv Sena is going against Hindutva,” he said. “Would they have been able to say no to reciting the prayer had Bala Saheb been there?”
