Rana couple drops Hanuman Chalisa recital plan; Police take them out of their house amid high drama

Mumbai: MLA Ravi Rana and his wife, MP Navneet Rana were escorted out of their house in suburban Khar by police on Saturday evening amid high drama, hours after the couple cancelled their plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence `Matoshree’ here. Police also registered a case under IPC section 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, etc.) against the Rana couple.

As Shiv Sena workers laid siege to the building where the Ranas, both independent legislators from eastern Maharashtra, were staying, demanding an apology from them, police officials persuaded the couple to go to Khar police station in western Mumbai with them.

The couple was initially seen arguing with the police inside the building, saying they would not budge until criminal cases were also registered against Shiv Sena leaders who `threatened’ them. Navneet Rana also demanded that the police produce a warrant.

But later they agreed to step out, and left in two police vehicles. Before climbing into police vehicles, Navneet Rana, the Amravati MP, and Ravi Rana, MLA from Badnera, were seen shouting slogans, looking in the direction of Shiv Sena workers who were outside. Sena workers, led by Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai, were outside the building since morning and had vowed not to allow the Ranas to leave until they apologized. There were several women among them.

An empty water bottle was also thrown in the direction of the Ranas when they came out.

Sardesai told Sena cadres that the police would be escorting the couple to the police station and they should stay calm and not take the law into their hands.

Ravi Rana said if a case was being registered against them, cases should be registered against Sena leaders Anil Parab and Sanjay Raut too. Earlier, amid stiff resistance by workers of the ruling Shiv Sena, Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana on Saturday dropped their plan of reciting the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree in suburban Bandra.

They did not want to disturb the law and order situation in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city on Sunday, Ravi Rana said.

In the morning, Shiv Sena workers broke through the barricades and tried to enter the premises of their Khar residence. But the situation was brought under control by the police.