Hanuman Chalisa Row: A special court in Mumbai on Monday issued a notice to independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA-husband Ravi Rana, accused in a sedition case following a row over the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa, seeking their response to an application filed by the Mumbai police urging for their bail to be canceled. The Mumbai Police sought that the couple’s bail be canceled on the ground that they had allegedly violated one of the conditions imposed by the special court while granting them bail last week.
Special Judge R N Rokade on Monday briefly heard special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat and issued a notice to the Rana couple for their response. The court will hear the matter further on May 18.
Navneet Rana, the Lok Sabha member from Amravati in Maharashtra, and her husband Ravi Rana, the legislator from Badnera in Amravati, were arrested by the Mumbai police on April 23 after they announced that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
As Navneet Rana was discharged from the Lilawati Hospital yesterday after her earlier release on bail, she talked to the media at large, challenging Thackeray to contest against her. She also said “if reciting the Hanuman Chalisa was a crime, she would do it again and again”, calling it a “religious fight she would carry on”. This seemed to be in violation of her bail order, which had directed her to not speak to the media about the case while out.
Top updates in the story:
• “The Parliament is in Delhi, I can bring all my fight to Delhi. I am here as in Mumbai no action was taken. I will share my pain with central authorities. My bail order mentioned that I cannot talk about the subject but on any other issue I can speak. I can talk about the misbehaviour done with me in jail,” Navneet Rana said Monday, adding that she will LS Speaker Om Birla at 5:30 PM. “CP Sanjay Pandey is working under pressure of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Pandey is retiring next month so he is eyeing some position, hence acting as per shiv sena’s demands,” she claimed.
• The Mumbai Police has moved the Sessions Court for cancellation of bail of independent legislators Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana in sedition case involving reading Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence, reports said. The Bar and Bench has reported that the court has issued a notice to the Ranas in the case.
• The BMC has conducted an inspection of the Ranas’ residence. They ‘scanned for irregularities’ and officials said they will serve a notice to the couple in case they have found any.
• Navneet Rana has left her Mumbai residence is on the way to the airport to reach Delhi. “I will meet Home Minister Amit Shah, and have asked for PM Modi’s time too. I will meet Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla also,” she said.
• Independent MP Navneet Rana, who recently got bail after being arrested by Mumbai police last month over ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ recitation row, on Sunday challenged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to contest an election against her. She also claimed that people of Mumbai and Lord Ram will teach the Shiv Sena a lesson in civic polls.
• Shiv Sena president Thackeray, who became the CM in November 2019 after forging an alliance with the NCP and Congress, took oath as member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council in May 2020. Prior to that, he was not a member of the state legislature.
• Navneet Rana, the MP from Amravati in Maharashtra, and her MLA-husband Ravi Rana were arrested on April 23 by the Mumbai police after the couple announced that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside CM Thackeray’s private residence `Matoshree’ here, which angered workers of the Shiv Sena, Thackeray’s party, leading to tension.
• The couple was granted bail on May 4 by a special Mumbai court. They walked out of jail on May 5 following which Navneet Rana was admitted to a private hospital here. Her lawyer then said she had complaints of high blood pressure, bodyache and spondylitis.
• Talking to reporters on Sunday after being discharged from the hospital, the Navneet Rana said, “I challenge Uddhav Thackeray ji to chose a constituency and get elected directly by people. I will fight against him.” “I will work hard with honesty and win the election, and he (the CM) will know the people’s power,” she said. “What crime did I commit that I was jailed for 14 days? You can put me in jail for 14 years, but I will not stop chanting the names of Lord Ram and Hanuman. Mumbaikars and Lord Ram will teach the Shiv Sena a lesson in the civic polls,” the parliamentarian said.
• Navneet Rana also said she will campaign in Mumbai and support ‘Ram bhakts’ (followers of Lord Ram) to end the “corrupt rule” of the Shiv Sena. This Shiv Sena shares power in the state with the NCP and Congress. The Thackeray-led party also controls the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Notably, CM Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray is the first from the family to enter the electoral fray.
• “We have started our Hanuman Chalisa program from today onwards. Sri Ram Sene workers who went to Bengaluru’s Hanuman temple to play Hanuman Chalisa have been arrested by Ashok Nagar police Station and Revenu minister R Ashok is behind this and we condemn his act,” Shri Siddalinga Swamiji, Karuneshwar Mutt.
• Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik announced on Sunday that the playing of Hanuman Chalisa, Suprabhata, Omkara, or devotional songs will begin at 5 am on May 9 at over 1,000 temples across Karnataka, accusing the state government of failing to act against loudspeakers erected at mosques.
(with inputs from agencies)
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