‘Slap Uddhav’ row: You can’t do anything to me, Narayan Rane tells Shiv Sena protesters

Narayan Rane at his Juhu residence on Wednesday. Pic/Rane Ashish

Given interim relief by the Bombay High Court in the alleged slur against the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Union minister Narayan Rane refused to comment on the case further because of legal issues. He did, however, announce that no one could do anything to him, and that he had always been able to defeat the efforts made against him, especially by his detractors in the Shiv Sena.

Rane addressed a press conference on Wednesday in Mumbai after the HC posted the hearing on his plea seeking relief in the cases registered against him to September 17, and the state government assured the HC that it would not take any coercive action till the day of the next hearing.

In the high-voltage drama on Tuesday, the minister was arrested and bailed out late at night in Mahad. Since similar cases have been registered in other cities as well, Rane approached the HC. He said the HC and Mahad court orders were in his favour. "It proves that the country is run by the rule of law," he said.

Rane maintained that he hadn't said anything wrong to be arrested and that the court has not made any adverse observation. He said he will resume the Jan Ashirvad Yatra from August 27, and promised to intensify the ‘democratic and legal' fight against the Sena-led MVA government.

Also read: BJP leader seeks FIR against Uddhav Thackeray over remarks against UP CM

'You also have families'

Rane accused the Sena for intimidating his family by protesting in front of his Bandra home on Tuesday. "We three (he and his sons) were not home then. Don't you have children and family? You cannot do anything to me," he told the protesters, adding that he had always been able to defeat the attempts made against him in the past.

After Rane was arrested and bailed out late on Tuesday he held a press conference on Wednesday. Pic/Rane Ashish

He said he had played a significant role in building the Shiv Sena. "The people who got angry (read the CM) now weren't active then." Rane read excerpts from Uddhav Thackeray's public speeches, particularly those about Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, wondering whether they were 'unparliamentary or not'.

To sue Sena minister

Rane said he will drag Sena minister Anil Parab to court for engineering his illegal arrest. "All have seen a video clip of Parab in which he asks to arrest me. I will take him to court," he said, alleging the deterioration of law and law and order in the state.

"Rapes and all sorts of crimes are happening in the state," he said, pointing out a specific case involving a sacked Sena minister. "I will not spare anyone. We will fight it out through a democratic process. The days of this government are numbered," he said.

Aug 27
Day Narayan Rane will resume the Jan Ashirvad Yatra

2005
When Narayan Rane quit the Shiv Sena