‘STRICT’ ACTION by the Mumbai Police against MLA Ravi Rana and his wife Parliamentarian Navneet Rana, who were arrested on Saturday and charged with sedition, is being views in the police circles as a way to send out a “strong message” to others who could likely create law and order situation in the city on communal issues. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, for instance, gave an “ultimatum” to the state government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3. The leader had threatened the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of “consequences” if this was not done. This was crucial in light of instances of communal violence across the country in the past few weeks. A few in the department are, however, also of the view that the police may have overstepped a line by including the charge of sedition in the FIR against the Ranas considering that courts have pulled up the government in the past for “casual use” of the section. An IPS officer from Mumbai Police said that it was important that a message was sent out that nobody can take the law into their own hands. “Even if any action was to be taken, for example on the issue of loudspeakers, only the police is the proper authority for implementing the law. Hence, when despite issuing notices to the Ranas to desist from chanting Hanuman Chalisa outside the CM's residence they went ahead with their plan, a decision was taken at the top level to take strict action,” the officer said. On applying the sedition charge, the officer said, “The charge was applied since there are at least two clips where the Ranas are seen abusing the CM. We had to ask news channels not to play the clip for the safety of the Ranas. A CM is the head of the government and using such language for the state government’s representative invites sedition charge.” On allegations by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the Mumbai Police was towing the state government line on the matter, and not protecting BJP leaders, an officer said, “We have also registered cases against Shiv Sainiks who broke barricades outside the residence of the Ranas and the ones who threw a bottle at (BJP leader) Kirit Somaiya. We have also registered an FIR in the case where (BJP’s) Mohit Kamboj said he was attacked. So, have acted in a neutral manner.” Notably, the incumbent Mumbai Police Commissioner, Sanjay Pandey, was the deputy commissioner of police in the state capital when communal riots broke out in 1992-93. At that point, Dharavi, which was in his zone, was witnessing communal violence. He was applauded for having brought an end to the violence there with his “strong handling” of the situation. Many in the force believe that he is applying a similar strategy in this particular case to ward off any other potential incidents of communal violence in the coming weeks by playing a strong hand.
