Shiv Sena Row: 'Jo Ram ka Nahi... Dhanush-Baan Unka Nahi,' MP Navneet Rana Takes Dig at Uddhav Thackeray

Amravati (Maharashtra): Amravati MP Navnit Rana on Saturday took a swipe at former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray after the Election Commission on Friday decided that the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the real Shiv Sena and symbol of `Bow and Arrow` would be retained by the Shinde group. "Jo Ram ka nahi jo Hanuman ka nahi, wo kisi kaam ka nahi aur Dhanush-Baan unka nahi," she said after Uddhav lost the battle of party`s name and symbol to his rival. "Uddhav Thackeray has got the result as prasad of Lord Shiv," she further said referring to Hanuman Chalisa row last year. "The people of Maharashtra were expecting this. The brutal treatment that has been meted out to the people, to all of us, and the MLAs in the last 2.5 years has resulted in this. The Election Commission has given the result in favour of those with the correct ideologies," she added. 

It is pertinent to mention that Amravati MP Navnit Rana had chanted the "Hanuman Chalisa" outside the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to rekindle the flame of Hindutva in Shiv Sena (when Uddhav Thackeray was the CM during Maha Vikas Aghadi government). 

She even wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issuing a clarification that she wanted to ignite the flame of `Hindutva` in Shiv Sena, not to create any religious tensions by chanting the "Hanuman Chalisa" outside the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. 

जो राम का नही, हनुमान का नही वो किसी काम का नही और धनुष्यबाण उसका नही.... जय महादेव pic.twitter.com/yrYRGIhGWu

— Navnit Ravi Rana (@navneetravirana) February 18, 2023

In the letter, Rana wrote, "I, with the sincere hope to rekindle the flame of Hindutva in Shiv Sena had declared that I shall go to the residence of the Chief Minister and chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside his residence. This was not meant to incite any religious tensions." Rana said that it`s her "honest belief" that Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray completely strayed from its avowed Hindutva principles for obvious reasons. "It`s my honest and bona fide belief that Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray completely strayed from its avowed Hindutva principles for obvious reasons since it wanted to betray public mandate and form post-poll alliance with INC-NCP," she added. 

The couple was first sent to 14-day judicial custody and later Navneet Rana was sent to Byculla women`s jail on the orders of the local magistrate. A month later, a special court had granted them bail. While the Shinde faction welcomed the decision of being recognized as the real Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray faction said they will move to the Supreme Court.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction accused the Election Commission of haste and said the decision shows "it works as BJP agent".The Commission observed in its order that the current constitution of the Shiv Sena party is undemocratic and has been "mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all". It said such party structures fail to inspire confidence.

The poll panel advised all political parties to reflect democratic ethos and principles of inner party democracy and regularly disclose on their respective websites aspects of their inner party functioning, such as organisational details, holding of elections, the copy of the Constitution and list of office bearers."The constitution of political parties ought to provide for free, fair and transparent elections to the posts of office bearers and a further free and fair procedure for the resolution of internal disputes.

These procedures ought to be difficult to amend and should be amendable only after ensuring larger support of the organisational members for the same," the ECI said. Last month, both the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former CM Uddhav Thackeray-led factions of the Shiv Sena submitted their written statements in support of their claims over the party name and symbol to the Election Commission.