AIMIM clamours for Nitesh Rane’s arrest, Sharad Pawar asks BJP to control him

Jaleel said the way BJP leader Nitesh Rane is repeatedly making statements against the Muslim community, it seems the government is conspiring to trigger violence to make electoral gains. ”The Mahayuti government is rattled by its defeat in the Lok Sabha. Now it wants Hindu-Muslim violence and thereby benefit during elections,” he said.

Jaleel said their ‘Tiranga Rally’ will culminate in Mumbai. “We will try to meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and seek the arrest of the two,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking in Chiplun in Ratnagiri district on Monday, Sharad Pawar, without naming BJP MP Narayan Rane, said,”Sindhudurg district has given a chief minister to Maharashtra. He has also worked with me. I don’t want to say anything about him. But the way his son (Nitesh Rane) is making statements, I have never seen in Maharashtra’s history the future generation of a chief minister resort to such a path.”

Asking BJP to control Nitesh Rane, Pawar said, “Look at his language…In our country, people of all castes, creed and religion are living. India belongs to everyone. We have Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. BJP is not controlling its leader who is repeatedly making public statements against the Muslim community. This means, power has gone to the head of BJP leaders. When power goes to the head, people unite and will show them their place.”

Criticising Ramgiri Maharaj, Pawar said, “Those who are donning saffron attire are making venomous statements against people from other religion which is not appropriate. One should not make statements which affect the unity among the people from different religions.”

On the other hand, NCP led by Ajit Pawar said it has already complained to BJP leadership about the statements of Nitesh Rane against the Muslim community. “Whatever we had to say about Nitesh Rane, we have conveyed to the BJP leadership. His statements are not acceptable to us,” Sunil Tatkare, state president of NCP, told this newspaper.

Asked whether NCP was still a secular party, Tatkare said, “NCP was a secular party and respects all religions. We won’t tolerate anything said against any religion.”

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last week said, “Nitesh Rane was a Hindutva leader. He is aggressively taking up the cause of Hindutva. But myself and his father, Narayan Rane have spoken to him and told him to restrain himself while delivering his speeches.”

On the other hand, Nitesh Rane said he will continue to fight for Hindus. ”I don’t know what NCP has said about it…But I will continue my Hindutva crusade,” he told reporters in Mumbai.

Referring to Pawar’s statement, Nitesh Rane said, “Pawar has not stood for Hindus…When stones were flung at Ganesh processions and idols, Sharad Pawar did not even register his protest. If he had done so, Hindus would have felt better.”