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TL;DR
- BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has been booked for alleged anti-Muslim hate speech in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.
- Rane’s remarks were made during gatherings organized by the Sakal Hindu Samaj Andolan and were captured in a video.
- Waris Pathan of AIMIM and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad have called for action against Rane, accusing him of inciting communal violence.
- Nitesh Rane defended his comments, while his father, Narayan Rane, reprimanded him for dragging the entire Muslim community into the issue.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Nitesh Rane has been embroiled in controversy following his alleged anti-Muslim hate speech in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district. On Sunday, two First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against him, as reported by The Hindu. The remarks were made during gatherings organized by the Sakal Hindu Samaj Andolan, a coalition of Hindutva organizations, in the Shrirampur and Tofkhana areas of Ahmednagar.
A video from one of these events shows Rane, who is the son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, making inflammatory statements against the Muslim community. He warned them not to comment on Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj, saying, “If you are concerned about your community, do not say a word about Maharaj.” Ramgiri Maharaj had previously been accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad at an event in Nashik district in August. The video of Ramgiri’s comments went viral, leading to protests by Muslim groups in Ahmednagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Jalgaon on August 16.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) spokesperson, Waris Pathan, urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action against Rane. Pathan accused Rane of spreading hatred against Muslims and alleged that the BJP was attempting to incite communal violence in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. He stated on social media, “In Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar, BJP MLA Nitish Rane is openly threatening the police administration that he will enter the mosque and kill Muslims one by one.”
Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad also called for action, questioning if those making provocative statements were being protected due to their association with the ruling party. She expressed her concerns on social media, asking, “Are all these people making provocative statements being protected because they are associated with the ruling party? Why is there no action against them?”
Nitesh Rane defended his comments, claiming that Ramgiri Maharaj’s statements were not new and that similar remarks had been made by several Muslim scholars. He stated, “Whoever is supporting Ramgiri Maharaj, those even putting it on their social media status, they are getting death threats.” His father, Narayan Rane, a former Union minister, reprimanded him, emphasizing that not all Muslims were guilty and advising against dragging the entire community into the issue.
This incident is not the first time Nitesh Rane has faced allegations of hate speech. Earlier this year, he was booked for similar charges following an incident of communal violence in Mira Road, a suburb north of Mumbai. Despite the controversy, the police have yet to take significant action against Rane, leading to allegations of preferential treatment due to his political affiliations. The situation remains tense as the state prepares for the upcoming elections, with concerns about potential communal unrest.
