The state of Maharashtra has turned into a political battleground once again after the Mumbai Police arrested independent Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana for threatening to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav Thackeray's house. Maharashtra's Hanuman Chalisa's row has taken the centre stage ever since the Uddhav Thackeray government has taken strict action against the MLA couple Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana. Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana were arrested by the Mumbai Police and were slapped with many FIRs including a sedition charge for threatening to recite Hanuman Chalisa in the open.
Now, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has broken his silence for the first time on the Hanuman Chalisa row and warned to not do 'Dadagiri' by reciting Hanuman Chalisa. Udhav Thackeray's 'Dadagiri' remarks come in the backdrop of not only the arrest of Rana couple but also the challenge of MNS Chief Raj Thackeray to play Hanuman Chalisa in loudspeakers if mosques do not stop playing Azans in the public.
"It's being said that we've ignored Hindutva. Is Hindutva a dhoti or what? Our Hindutva is 'Gada Dhari' like Lord Hanuman's Gada. If you want to recite Hanuman Chalisa, call and come home. But if you resort to 'Dadagiri' we know how to crumble it," said Udhav Thackeray.
Amid MNS' Raj Thackeray's standing warning to the MVA government to ban the use of loudspeakers in mosques, the Rana couple decided to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree on April 23. However, after the police issued them a notice asking them to not disrupt the law and order situation, they called off their plan citing PM Modi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday evening.
Bombay HC quashes Naveet Rana and Ravi Rana's plea
Talking about Hanuman Chalisa row, the Bombay High Court on Monday quashed one of the FIRs lodged against the Rana couple. The petition was dismissed by a bench comprising Justices PB Varale and SM Modak, citing that it was 'devoid of merit'. On Saturday, the Khar police booked the Ranas under IPC Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc), and 124A (sedition) which was allegedly added later, besides provisions of the Bombay Police Act. A second FIR was filed against the Ranas on Sunday under IPC Section 353 for alleged assault of a public servant to prevent him/her from doing official duty, to which the Ranas had taken exception and moved the court.