The Narayan Rane vs Uddhav Thackeray battle has led Maharashtra's politics fuming. On Tuesday, Rane was arrested over his objectionable "slap" statement on Maharashtra CM. Though he was later released on bail by the Nasikh police, Rane's trouble doesn't seem to diminish.
While, on early Wednesday, the Nashik police sent a notice in the case registered against him directing the minister to be present on September 2.
Meanwhile, Rane's Jan Ashriwad Yatra has been postponed for two days.
A petition is likely to be filed in the Bombay High Court today to quash the 4 cases filed against him.
Narayan Rane’s comments sparked widespread protests by outraged members of Shiv Sena. Party workers from both sides were seen clashing on the streets of Mumbai when BJP workers tried stopping Sena members who were on a march to Rane’s home, waving flags and shouting slogans.
Ruling party Shiv Sena alleged that Mr Rane has been on the lookout to create unrest in the state and his recent remarks are part of his strategy to unravel tension.
Rane has been asked to furnish a bond of Rs 15,000.
The police have said that Rane's audio clip will be matched with his statement for the CM, thus, he has been called to Nashik on September 2. He is also supposed to appear before the Raigad Crime Branch on August 30 and September 13.
While granting bail, the court gave "stern instructions" to Rane not to tamper with documents and evidence.
Also Read: BJP’s Minister Narayan Rane Arrested Over ‘Slap Uddhav’ Comment; Party Workers Clash
Narayan Rane's advocate, meanwhile, will be moving to the Bombay High Court today to dismiss the cases registered against him in Nashik, Pune, Raigad and Jalgaon.
The feud between Narayan Rane and Uddhav Thackeray is nothing recent, it dates back to the times of Bal Thackeray. Rane was once closest to Bala Saheb and one of the most powerful leaders in Maharashtra.
Rane had openly in the past opposed the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and his bitterness with the Shiv Sena increased with the rising influence of Uddhav Thackeray, who back then was known for his behind the curtain management skills.
According to Journalist and political commentator Hemant Desai, Rane could not accept Uddhav's leadership and eventually parted ways from the Sena. Even since Rane and his sons have been taking personal jabs at the Maharashtra chief minister and his family.
Today's fight between Uddhav and Rane is more personal than a political war between Shiv Sena and BJP.
The origin
Narayan Rane was a part of a gang named ‘Harya Narya gang’ in the 1960s, a street gang that operated in the northeastern suburb of Chembur, where he lived before. All this was before he entered politics. Rane joined Shiv Sena in the 1970s and was given the portion of a shakha pramukh, followed by contesting the election for Sena corporator in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, Rane rose as one of Sena's influential leaders and was pushed from MLA's post to minister and ultimately, rising as the chief minister of Maharashtra for a short period between February and October 1999. This was a coalition government of the Shiv Sena and BJP.
However, Rane ended his long ties with Shiv Sena and Thackeray family in 2005 and united with Congress. The Congress party too doesn't do justice to Rane and he resigned in 2017.
He established his party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, which has now merged with the BJP.
How political bitterness turned into a personal rivalry
Uddhav in 1999 state polls, decided to decline 15 names of candidates that were already on a finalised list. Rane took this as a humiliation.
Rane opposed the list, however, there was no alteration made to the chart and the candidates contested the polls Independently and 12 of them won proving Rane to be correct.
Shiv Sena moved a resolution in 2003 to appoint Uddhav Thackeray as the executive president of the party, after which Rane had met Bal Thackeray to raise his concerns regarding the appointment.
Rane was angry that he was denied a fair hearing, in 2005 he resigned from Sena giving Uddhav a letter where he told him that “Shiv Sainiks do not get love, affection, and trust from you as they used to get from Saheb”.
A day later, Rane was ousted by Bala Sahib from the party who was at that time the leader of Opposition in the assembly, citing betrayal.
In response, Rane ranted against Uddhav, his personal assistant Milind Narvekar, and Shiv Sena leaders such as Subhash Desai.
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After Rane left the party in a blowup, Shiv Sena leaders started criticising and name-calling Rane. The nicknames were popularised by Bal Thackeray himself - such as “nagobacha pillu” (a snake’s child) and “kombdi chor (chicken thief). The party workers also attacked Rane for having a poultry shop that he owned near Chembur station in Mumbai about five decades ago, during his early years in politics.
Taking all chances, the Rane family too throw a dig at Uddhav's son and state cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray by calling him "baby penguin".
Nitesh Rane, Narayan's son who is also an MLA had tweeted teaming CM Thackeray “ghar kombda“, it is a phrase used to call someone who sits at home. This reference was made pointing at Thackeray likening “working from home” to being out on the field.
The "slap" remark on the Maharashtra CM and the succeeding action against Rane is clear signs of an old and brewed dispute that seems to go on for long.