Mr. Rane was arrested today for his remark about Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, which he referred to as his “ignorance of the year India gained independence.” Mr. Rane was scolding Mr. Thackeray for his “ignorance of the year India gained independence.” He was, however, granted bail by a court in Mahad late in the evening on the previous night.
BJP politician Mr Rane, who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet in July as Minister for Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, is the first central minister to be detained in the country’s history, dating back 20 years. His detention has emerged as a new flashpoint in the conflict between the once-allies-turned-rivals Sena and the BJP.
The minister was detained while he was eating his lunch, only hours after the Bombay High Court denied his request for an expedited hearing on his petition for protection against action in the country. He is being taken into custody and brought before a court in the Raigad district. His wife also appeared in court, surrounded by a sea of people, and testified against him.
In court, Mr Rane’s attorney stated, “The police have arrived to arrest him, and they are waiting at his door.” The High Court responded as follows: “Please follow the steps outlined in the procedure. Please do not impose on us the responsibility of maintaining the registration.”
Later in the night, he was granted bail by a Mahad court, in which he cited his health and his job as Union Cabinet Minister as justifications. He further claimed that he was not properly notified prior to his detention as necessary, and that the case against him was motivated by political considerations.
Mr Rane’s remarks on Monday at a “Jan Ashirwad Yatra,” which was organised across the country by the BJP, prompted the Chief Minister’s Shiv Sena to file complaints against him. He stated that Mr Thackeray had forgotten the year of independence during his August 15 speech and had to check with his aide in the middle of the speech to correct the error.
“It is a disgrace that the Chief Minister is unable to identify the year in which India gained freedom. During his address, he leaned back to inquire about the number of years that the United States has been independent. If I had been present, I would have given him a firm slap on the back of the head “Mr Rane stated his position during the public meeting.
As a result of the comments, Shiv Sena protests erupted, and FIRs were lodged in three locations, alleging non-bailable offences. According to the Indian Penal Code, or IPC, the Union Minister is facing charges under several sections, including threat of injury to a public servant, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, which is punishable by a two-year prison sentence, publishing or circulating any statement that causes public mischief, and criminal intimidation, among others.
Mr Rane had reacted angrily to reports of his “imminent arrest,” claiming that he was no ordinary man and that the media had misrepresented him.
In his statement, he said, “I have not committed any crime. You should verify this and show it on TV or else I will file a case against you (the media). Despite the fact that I have not committed any crime, the media is showing speculative news about my ‘imminent’ arrest. Do you think I am a normal (ordinary) man?”