A day after Narayan Rane was arrested for unpalatable remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP continued to mount pressure on Shiv Sena with the Union MSMEs Minister and Rajya Sabha member saying that he was not afraid of anyone.
Rane and his son Nitesh Rane, who is a BJP MLA, indicated that they would hit back politically.
“You can't do anything to me and I don't fear anyone,” the senior Rane said, adding that he has been in politics for over five decades and spent around four decades in Shiv Sena.
“I have contributed to the growth and expansion of Shiv Sena,” said Rane, a former Chief Minister and ex-Leader of Opposition.
The junior Rane posted part of a scene from the film Rajneeti that shows actor Manoj Bajpayee warning "karara jawab milega” (strong answer will be given).
Without repeating the “tight-slap slur”, Rane maintained that he had not spoken anything wrong.
Also Read | Won't take coercive action against Narayan Rane on Nashik FIR till Sept 17: Maharashtra govt to Bombay HC
"I am not backing out in any way... my statement was an expression of anger (against the Chief Minister) who forgot the year of India's independence... how can it be a crime," he said.
He also alleged that Thackeray had used unpalatable words while referring to senior BJP leaders -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Uddhav Thackeray himself had in the past ordered his party workers to "break the jaws" of people attacking the Sena's headquarters, said that Adityanath should be beaten up with sandals, and called Union home minister Amit Shah "shameless", Rane alleged.
“If I was a gangster according to the Sena, that party made me the chief minister. Was it OK with the party then?” asked the BJP leader, who quit the Thackeray-led party in 2005.
Rane and other senior BJP leaders including state President Chandrakant Patil and Ashish Shelar said that the Jan Ashirwad Yatra will resume from Friday.
“Two courts, the Raigad Court and the Bombay High Court have ruled in my favour,” said Rane.
Hours after he got bail from the court in Mahad, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted protection to him till September 17 and asked police not to take any coercive action.
Rane pleaded to quash the Nashik FIR and all other cases that may be lodged in future, and interim protection from arrest.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justice SS Shinde and Justice NJ Jamdar.
Rane’s counsel Satish Maneshinde and lawyer Aniket Nikam sought protection from all the cases related to Rane’s statement against the Chief Minister.
Maharashtra government’s senior counsel Amit Desai said that no coercive actions will be initiated against Rane in the Nashik FIR till the next hearing. “His immediate concern is this FIR, I am willing to make this statement,” Desai submitted.
Rane takes a dig at Fadnavis
Rane also took a dig at Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “I have not said anything wrong. But if Devendra Fadvanis says it is wrong, then I will accept it, as he is our ‘margdarshak’,” said Rane.
Probe Anil Parab, demands BJP
The BJP demanded a CBI probe into the alleged complicity of the state’s Transport Minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab, who is a close aide of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
A video clip of Parab ordering Rane’s arrest went viral on social media platforms. BJP MLA and former minister Ashish Shelar said Parab was heard telling someone on the phone that Rane’s bail plea would be rejected hours before it actually happened.
“That was before noon when he was chairing a meeting of Ratnagiri District Planning and Development Council,” he said.
“We demand a CBI enquiry as Parab exerted pressure and heard telling somebody that the Rane's bail appeal would be rejected. How did he know about something before the process started in the sessions court? All the phone calls of Parab and IPS officials should also be exposed,” Shelar demanded.