A team, led by Nashik DCP (crime) Sanjay Barkund and comprising police inspector Ananda Wagh, was formed and it rushed to Chiplun in Ratnagiri to arrest Mr. Rane, a police official said
Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey on Tuesday issued orders for the immediate arrest of Union Minister Narayan Rane after an FIR was registered against him in the north Maharashtra city over his remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Accordingly, a team of Nashik Police left in the morning for Ratnagiri district, where Mr. Rane is currently carrying out his ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’, an official said. Mr. Rane had sparked off a row over his remarks about slapping Chief Minister Thackeray for what he claimed as the latterтАЩs ignorance of the year of IndiaтАЩs independence.
“It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap,тАЭ Mr. Rane said during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Raigad district on Monday.
The BJP leader and former Shiv Sena chief minister claimed Mr. Thackeray forgot the year of independence during his August 15 address to the people of the state. Thackeray had to check the year of independence with his aides midway during the speech that day, Mr. Rane said.
Following his remarks, a complaint was lodged against Mr. Rane by Nashik city Shiv Sena unit chief at the Cyber police station there.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against Mr. Rane in Nashik under IPC sections 500 (defamation), 505(2) (mischief), 153-B (1)(c) (remarks likely to cause disharmony, or feeling of enmity or hatred or ill-will), a police official said.
Considering the law and order situation across the state and in Nashik in the wake of Mr. Rane’s remarks, Police Commissioner Pandey ordered an investigation into the matter and immediate arrest of the Union minister.
Accordingly, a team, led by Nashik DCP (crime) Sanjay Barkund and comprising police inspector Ananda Wagh and other officers, was formed and it rushed to Chiplun in Ratnagiri to arrest Mr. Rane, the official said.
The team was asked to arrest Mr. Rane and produce him before a court in Nashik, the official said, adding the team was also directed to follow the due procedure for arresting the Union Minister.
Security beefed up oustide Rane’s Mumbai residence
Heavy police security was also deployed outside the Union Minister residence in Mumbai as Shiv Sena volunteers were expected to carry out protests against his remarks against CM Thackeray.
Several Sena workers, including women, carrying placards and shouting slogans against Mr. Rane, assembled outside an office of the Yuva Sena (the party’s youth wing), located nearby in Juhu.
A posse of police personnel, including women cops, were deployed outside Mr. Rane’s residence to prevent any untoward incident, an official said.
Another complaint filed in Aurangabad
Meanwhile, in Aurangabad , Shiv Sena’s spokesperson Ambadas Danve lodged a complaint against Mr. Rane at Kranti Chowk police station over the latter’s remarks against the CM.
Mr. Danve said Mr. Rane’s remarks were “objectionable”, and demanded action against the BJP leader.
Talking to reporters after lodging the police complaint, Mr. Danve said, “Earlier, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray used to call Narayan Rane as ‘Naru’, which is the name of a disease in Marathi. The Shiv Sena has a remedy for this disease.” He claimed Mr. Rane made the statement to provoke the Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena will protest against Mr. Rane’s statement through the constitutional process as well as by taking to roads, the MLC said.
An official at the Kranti Chowk police station in Aurangabad said they have received the Shiv Sena’s complaint and action will be taken as per the instructions of senior officials.
