Union Minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane has been arrested by police over his comments against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The arrest follows a clash between Shiv Sena and BJP workers, following which police resorted to lathi-charge.
Rane was taken to Sangmeshwar police station in Ratnagiri district.
Clashes were also reported in other parts of Maharashtra as Shiv Sena workers protested against Rane. Shiv Sena workers pelted stones at BJP offices in Nashik and Nagpur.
Rane had claimed at a rally during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra on Monday that Thackeray should be slapped for not knowing the year India gained independence.The Nashik Cyber Police had registered an FIR against Narayan Rane over a complaint by a local Shiv Sena functionary. An FIR was lodged in Pune against Rane over the same issue following a complaint by the Yuva Sena, the Shiv Sena's youth wing.
Rane had approached the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the multiple FIRs. The BJP leader had also sought an interim order granting him protection from arrest or any coercive action. The bench, however, refused to hear it and said mentioning (of the petition) was not allowed and asked the lawyer to follow the procedure.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that though he does not support Rane's statement, the entire party is strongly behind the Union minister. He added that Rane's offence is non-cognisable, but the police has made it a cognisable offence by bringing in the IT Act.
-with inputs from Dnyanesh Jathar
