New Delhi: Independent Lok Sabha member Navneet Rana in a sharp attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray accused him of deviating from the path shown by Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and acting on the directions of ‘Matoshree’ residing in 10, Janpath which is the public-owned house where Congress leader Sonia Gandhi lives. Rana along with her husband Independent Maharashtra MLA Ravi Rana criticised Thackeray for not talking about “burning issues” like farm distress and unemployment in his rally on Saturday.
“Shiv Sena had declared that it will change the name of Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar, but now the chief minister claims that it was not required,” the Rana couple said at a press conference, PTI reported.
They claimed that if he followed up on the long-standing promise of renaming Aurangabad, Shiv Sena's alliance partners would withdraw support and the government would fall.
“The chief minister only has fear in his mind,” Navneet said, accusing the Shiv Sena of abandoning the path of Hindutva. Ravi Rana recalled that Balasaheb Thackeray had famously declared he would disband the Shiv Sena if he had to join hands with the Congress.
“But, Uddhav Thackeray has discarded the ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray and is now acting as per the directions of the 'Matoshree' of 10, Janpath,” Rana couple was quoted as saying while making a reference to Sonia Gandhi.
The Rana couple also accused the Maharashtra CM of misusing his power to slap sedition charges on those who want to recite Hanuman Chalisa while allowing people who offer flowers at the grave of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb go scot-free.
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“Had Balasaheb Thackeray been around, such persons would have been buried in the same grave as Aurangzeb. How dare a person from another state come here and offer flowers on the grave of Aurangzeb,” Navneet Rana said, referring to the visit of AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi to Khuldabad, where the grave of Aurangzeb is located.
“Uddhav Thackeray claims to be a Hinutuva-vaadi. Has he set out on the path of Aurangzeb? Has Shiv Sena become Aurangzeb Sena,” she asked.
The Rana couple showered praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis while claiming that Thackeray as chief minister has not achieved even a fraction of the work that was carried out during the tenure of Fadnavis.
“Fadnavis worked for the people. They still yearn for him to be the chief minister. You sought votes in the name of Modi and then backstabbed him,” Ravi Rana, the MLA from Badnera said.
Mumbai police arrested MP Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana in April from their residence in Khar, after the couple cancelled the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence ‘Matoshree’ because PM Modi was visiting the next day and they didn’t want to create any law and order situation. However, the situation had escalated already as Shiv Sena workers laid siege to the couple’s house and demanded an apology from them.
The couple initially showed resistance to the police, but later they agreed to go to the police station. Ravi Rana had remarked that if a case is being registered against them, a case should be registered against Shiv Sena leaders Anil Parab and Sanjay Raut too for making threatening statements.
Navneet Rana said she was still nursing the wounds of being jailed by the Maharashtra government for reciting Hanuman Chalisa and Thackeray will feel her pain only when a woman from his family is jailed for no fault of hers.
“When Uddhav Thackeray will no longer be chief minister and Rashmi Thackeray is jailed, I will ask him if he feels the pain,” Navneet Rana said, referring to the chief minister's wife.
(With Agency Inputs)