The ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ row has taken a political turn in Maharashtra after Shiv Sena workers decided to gather outside the house of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana in Mumbai, shouting slogans against the couple.
This move by Shiv Sena came after Navneet Rana and her husband said that they would chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, which is the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
According to media reports, workers from the ruling party in Maharashtra attempted to enter the residence of the legislator couple by breaking through the barricades, but the police on site sprung into action and controlled the situation.
After the couple had announced that they will be chanting the Hanuman Chalisa outside the residents of CM Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra police have decided to increase security outside of Matoshree, and ‘Varsha’, which is Thackeray’s residence in South Mumbai.
After the outrage sparked by their statement, the agitating independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana on Saturday abruptly called off their agitation to march to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private home in Bandra.
According to IANS reports, Rana said, "This was not an agitation. We just wanted to go to the CM’s home and recite Hanuman Chalisa with full faith to remind him of the forgotten ideals of the late Shiv Sena founder the late Balasaheb Thackeray. We were stopped from going there, we were gheraoed, our Amravati home was attacked. But now we have withdrawn our plans.”
Earlier, the MP-MLA couple had also alleged that they were being heckled and were not allowed to step outside their houses. They said that CM Thackeray had ordered Shiv Sena workers to stand outside their house following their ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ statement.
"Maharashtra CM ordered Shiv Sena workers to heckle us. They’re breaking the barricades. I’m reiterating that I’ll go outside and will chant Hanuman Chalisa at ‘Matroshree’. CM only knows how to throw people in jail," said Navneet Kaur Rana, as per ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)
READ | 'The party glorified Nathuram Godse': Shiv Sena takes a dig at BJP after Boris Johnson's visit
