Shiv Sena Minister's 'Murder' Reference About Ex-CM Narayan Rane Causes Flutter

Maharashtra minister Bharat Gogawale alleged BJP MP Narayan Rane faced criminal charges, jail time, fights, and "murder" to rise in politics.

Maharashtra minister Bharat Gogawale.

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale claimed that BJP MP and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane did not rise to his current position easily, as he faced several criminal cases, served time in jail, and indulged in fights and even "murder".

Narayan Rane's son and state BJP minister Nitesh Rane on Sunday hit back and claimed there is no police record against his father related to any murder. "I will meet Gogawale and broaden his understanding of certain facts", he added.

As Gogawale's remarks caused a flutter, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray demanded that the police interrogate Narayan Rane and Gogawale to find the details about the murder and other cases.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Home Minister, should seek details about the cases and the murder mentioned by Gogawale and share the information with Maharashtra.

"Today we have got strength in the form of Nilesh Rane in the district. Our (Shiv Sena's Sawantwadi MLA Deepak) Kesarkar saheb is not into fights. If a Shiv Sainik does not do ruckus, he is not a Shiv Sainik.

"At one time in Maharashtra, be it Narayan Rane or many other leaders...Narayan Rane did not reach this level very easily. He took cases on himself (a reference to criminal cases against Rane), created ruckus, went to jail, indulged in fights, murder...everything happened," Gogawale said while addressing a gathering in Sindhudurg district, the home turf of the Rane family.

Narayan Rane represents the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency. He had also represented Malvan and Kudal assembly constituencies in the state assembly.

He was booked in connection with the murder of Sindhudurg Congress functionary Shridhar Naik in 1991 but was later acquitted. Naik was the uncle of Shiv Sena (then undivided) MLA Vaibhav Naik who had defeated Narayan Rane in the 2014 state assembly polls when he was a member of the Congress party.

Asked about Gogawale's remarks, Nitesh Rane said, "I have not heard Gogawale's speech. But let me remind him that Narayan Rane had served as chief minister, and there is no police record against him related to any murder. Narayan Rane toiled for Shiv Sena and played a crucial role in the party's growth".

The BJP leader told reporters that the exchange (Gogawale's remarks and his reaction) could have escalated into a political slugfest, but he preferred to clarify the facts instead.

Gogawale is a member of Eknath Shinde-headed Shiv Sena, which is one of the three constituents of the Mahayuti government; the other two are BJP and NCP led by Ajit Pawar.

Former minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray demanded that the police record Gogawale's statement.

"A responsible minister can make such a remark about a former Union minister (Narayan Rane). The police should record a statement of Gogawale. They should interrogate Rane and Gogawale to find out about murders and criminal cases," he said.

"This (former) minister (Narayan Rane) can sit next to the Prime Minister. It means a security threat to the PM," Thackeray said.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)