This is an archive article published on May 10, 2024
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BJP’s Navneet Rana, whose ‘give us 15 seconds’ remark sparked row, booked; CM asks Modi: ‘Do you support this?’
Campaigning for BJP’s Hyderabad candidate, Rana had also said: ‘If you vote for Rahul Gandhi or Congress, the vote goes to Pakistan’
Officials said that a complaint was lodged by the Flying Squad Team (FST) of the Election Commission on May 9 stating that portions of Rana’s speech in Hyderabad were in violation of EC rules. (X/ navneetravirana)
A case has been registered against BJP MP Navneet Kaur Rana for alleged violation of rules of the Election Commission of India – days after her contentious comments during an election rally.
The case, under section 188 of the IPC, was registered at Shadnagar police station under the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate. Officials said that a complaint was lodged by the Flying Squad Team (FST) of the Election Commission on May 9 stating that portions of Rana’s speech in Hyderabad were in violation of EC rules. The FST specifically referred to her statement that “if you vote for Rahul Gandhi or Congress, the vote goes to Pakistan”.
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On May 9, a row erupted over the speech made by Rana while campaigning for the party’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha a day earlier. Referring to AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s speech at Nirmal in Telangana in 2012, in which he said that if police is removed for 15 minutes his community would show 100 crore Hindus what it could do, Rana said, “Akbaruddin said remove police for 15 minutes so they can show what they can do… I say, it may take you 15 minutes but it will take us only 15 seconds.”
Her remarks had prompted a backlash from AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also demanded action against Rana and urged the BJP leadership to expel from the party. Speaking in Hyderabad and earlier at Medak, Reddy said that the Election Commission of India should file a criminal case against Rana for making such provocative statements.
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“She should be arrested. I ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah – do you support your BJP leader who said that if given 15 seconds, she will see the end of crores of people of this country? If you don’t approve such remarks, expel her from the party immediately and advise all BJP leaders to resist from making such speeches,” he said.
Urging people not to fall into the communal cauldron, Reddy said, “God should be in the temple, devotion should be in the heart. I appeal to my Hindu and Muslim brothers not to fall into the communal fight that has been started by the BJP. It is our responsibility to protect peace and security in our state.”
Officials said that a complaint was lodged by the Flying Squad Team (FST) of the Election Commission on May 9 stating that portions of Rana’s speech in Hyderabad were in violation of EC rules. (X/ navneetravirana) 
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