‘I am not an ordinary man’: Narayan Rane on his ‘slap Uddhav’ remark and likely arrest

Rane had made these remarks during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Raigad district on Monday. There are also reports of a clash between Shiv Sena and BJP workers in Mumbai over the issue.

MUMBAI: Union Minister Narayan Rane, who is at the center of a storm for making controversial remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has said that he has not committed any crime.

Rane has also defended his comments on Uddhav Thackeray, which has evoked a sharp response from Shiv Sena and the Congress party. On speculation about his possible arrest, Rane said that he was not a ‘normal' man and cautioned the media against such reportage.

“I haven't committed any crime. You should verify and show it on TV or else I will file a case against you (media). Despite not committing any crime, the media is showing speculative news about my 'imminent' arrest. Do you think I am a normal (ordinary) man,” Rane told reporters at Chiplun in the coastal Konkan region. 

I've no info that an FIR has been registered against me. I am not a common man. I have not committed any crime. Is it not a crime if someone doesn't know about 15th August? I had said that I would have slapped - these were the words & it's not a crime: Union Minister Narayan Rane pic.twitter.com/ju8CyDCtNG

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2021

Asked about cases filed by Shiv Sena workers against him over his remarks, Rane shot back, ‘Shiv Sena who??  Rane has sparked off a row by saying that he would have slapped Thackeray for what he claimed as the latter's ignorance of the year of India's Independence. 

"It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of Independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap,’’ Rane had said.

Rane had made these remarks during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Raigad district on Monday. The BJP leader and former Shiv Sena chief minister claimed Thackeray forgot the year of Independence during his August 15 address to the people of the state. 

Thackeray had to check the year of Independence with his aides midway during the speech that day, Rane claimed. There are also reports of a clash between Shiv Sena and BJP workers in Mumbai over the issue.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: A clash breaks out amid Shiv Sena workers, BJP workers and Police in Mumbai as Shiv Sena workers marched towards Union Minister Narayan Rane's residence.

Union Minister Narayan Rane had given a statement against CM Uddhav Thackeray yesterday. pic.twitter.com/TezjDGGqAb

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2021

Following his remarks, a complaint was lodged against Rane by Nashik city Shiv Sena unit chief at the Cyber police station there. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against Rane in Nashik under IPC sections 500 (defamation), 505(2) (mischief), 153-B (1)(c) (remarks likely to cause disharmony, or feeling of enmity or hatred or ill-will).

Considering the law and order situation across the state and in Nashik in the wake of Rane's remarks, Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey ordered an investigation into the matter and immediate arrest of the Union Minister.

Accordingly, a team, led by Nashik DCP (crime) Sanjay Barkund and comprising police inspector Ananda Wagh and other officers, was formed and it rushed to Chiplun in Ratnagiri to arrest Rane, the official said.

The team was asked to arrest Rane and produce him before a court in Nashik, the official said, adding the team was also directed to follow the due procedure for arresting the Union Minister.