Sena MLA seeks FIR against BJP leader for comparing Narayan Rane with Sambhaji Maharaj

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik has approached police, seeking that a case be registered against former BJP legislator Pramod Jathar for allegedly comparing Union minister Narayan Rane with Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Talking to PTI on Thursday, Naik said Jathar’s comparion of Rane with Chhatapati Sambhaji Maharaj was “shocking” and hurt sentinments of lakhs of the latter”s followers, including him.

The legislator said he approached the Kankavli police in Maharashtra”s Sindhudurg district with his complaint on Wednesday, seeking that a case be registered against Jathar.

He said Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was a great leader who was arrested at Sangameshwar (in Ratnagiri district) by Mughal kind Aurangazeb and tortured.

Naik had defeated Rane from Kudal Assembly seat in Sindhudurg in 2014.

Rane was defeated by Shiv Sena candidate in the bypoll to Mumbai”s Bandra (East) Assembly seat in 2015.

Earlier this week, Rane sparked off a row over his remarks about slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for what he claimed as the latter’s ignorance of the year of India’s independence.

He was arrested from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra on Tuesday and later granted bail by a court at Mahad in Raigad.

His remarks had led to protests across Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena and BJP activists also clashed with each other near his residence in Mumbai on Tuesday.