Hanuman Chalisa Row: 13 Shiv Sena workers arrested for ‘threatening’ MP-MLA couple

The ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ comment by MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana spouted off a full-fledged political row, as, after their arrest, the Mumbai Police also detained 13 workers from the ruling party, Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena workers were arrested for protesting outside the residence of the MP-MLA couple after they made the comment about reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, sparking outrage in the ruling party.

Party workers who were arrested by the police for protesting outside the residence of the Ranas and shouting slogans and “threats” for the political couple were later released by the authorities on bail.

The police have also filed an FIR against unidentified persons who reportedly hurled stones and footwear at the car of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya outside of Khar police station, injuring him and breaking his car window. An investigation into the matter is currently underway.

After the attack on Somaiya which was allegedly carried out by Shiv Sena workers, the BJP leader uploaded a video on social media which showed that he was bleeding from the stone-pelting. He claimed in the video that “100 Shiv Sena goons” had tried to kill him.

The Hanuman Chalisa row and the arrest of Navneet and Ravi Rana have sparked a massive backlash from BJP against the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, saying that their reaction to the incident was “childish”, and there is no law and order in the state.

Former Maharashtra CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis also criticized the government, and said that President’s rule should be imposed in the state as Shiv Sena has failed to maintain the law and order in Maharashtra due to indulgence in “politics of revenge”.

A Mumbai court on Sunday rejected the city police's demand for the custody of independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana and remanded the couple in 14-day judicial custody, an official said.

The Mumbai police on Saturday evening arrested Badnera MLA Ravi Rana and his wife Navneet Rana, the MP from Amravati in Maharashtra, for allegedly "creating enmity between different groups", as per PTI reports.

READ | Meet MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana, who are embroiled in ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ row with CM Uddhav Thackeray