After the Shiv Sena chief's warning on "dadagiri" following the arrest of Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and her husband and MLA Ravi Rana, the Bharatiya Janata Party has asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray if those who recite Hanuman Chalisa do "dadagiri".
BJP's Maharashtra in-charge CT Ravi came down heavily on Thackeray over his remarks and said Shiv Sena does not have the morality to talk about Hindutva.
"MP Navneet Rana came alone to recite Hanuman Chalisa and not to do "dadagiri" (hooliganism). They imposed sedition charges against them. Nawab Malik, who is facing serious charges, is actually a traitor who is still in the Cabinet. Does Uddhav Thackeray consider the charges against him? Had he done it, Nawab Malik would not be in the Cabinet any more."
Attacking the Maharashtra CM further, Ravi drew a comparison between Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena while terming the latter as "robbers' gang".
"Today's Shiv Sena is not what used to be during Bal Thackeray's time. Today's Shiv Sena is an opportunist. They lead the robbers' gang. In Maharashtra, every day we come to know of a new scam. One day, the common people will take account of it. They will not tolerate the MVA government's atrocities for long," he said.
Despite Z-plus category security, Ravi alleged Kirit Somaiya was attacked and targeted for revealing scams against the Maharashtra government. "Somaiya went to the police and told him that an attack was being planned on him as he was revealing new scams every day. The MVA government is scared of Kirit Somaiya and attacked him in a bid to stop him."
The BJP general secretary demanded a probe into the attack on Somaiya.
"Kirit Somaiya is not going to stop. He will continue to fight and BJP is standing by him. There should be a serious inquiry about who has attacked him," he added.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday issued a stern warning stating that Shiv Sainiks know how to counter "dadagiri". The chief minister warned MP Navneet Kaur Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana that if they resort to "dadagiri", his government knows how to counter it.
"We follow gada-dhaari hindutva and not ghanta-dhari hindutva," Thackeray said, adding, "I will hold a rally soon and will deal with everyone there. These are weak Hindutvawadis with their fake neo-Hinduism."
On Saturday, a row erupted when Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana stated that the couple plans to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside 'Matoshree'(Maharashtra CM's Mumbai Residence), after which a huge crowd gathered outside the residence of the political couple waving flags with an aim to prevent them from reaching the Chief Minister's residence.
On Sunday, MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana were sent to judicial custody for 14-days by the Holiday and Sunday court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra.
The MP-MLA couple's application will be heard by the court on April 29. Mumbai Police has asked them to file their say on the bail plea on April 27.
( With inputs from ANI )
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