Hours after Amravati Member of Parliament (MP) Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana were sent to judicial custody for 14 days and booked under sedition charges, the BJP blasted the MVA government asking since when reciting Hanuman Chalisa is seditious.
BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “What is the issue with chanting Hanuman Chalisa? If not in Maharashtra, should it be chanted in Pakistan?” He further claimed that power has gone to the head of the MVA government.
BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan called the arrest unconstitutional and illegal.
“This is the height of intolerance. Such an unconstitutional move against a women’s MP is condemnable. Is Shiv Sena scared of Hanuman Chalisa now,” she asked.
The Ranas were booked under Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act (violation of prohibitory orders of police).
The MP-MLA couple’s application will be heard by the court on April 29 and Mumbai Police has asked them to file their say on the bail plea on April 27.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Rizwan Merchant, the advocate of the couple accused the police of registering the second FIR against them under section 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Chanting Hanuman Chalisa cannot fall under section 153A, he said and termed the entire case bogus.
They know of the possibility of release on bail and have thus prepared the second FIR, he added.
Meanwhile, public prosecutor Pradip Gharat has said that charges under IPC Section 124-A (sedition) are made out against them as they had challenged the government machinery and made remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
On Saturday, Shiv Sena workers protested outside the residence of Navneet and Ravi Rana who had announced their plan to chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ outside Matoshree, the private residence of Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray.
