India / Arrest order issued against Narayan Rane for 'slap' remark against CM Thackeray

Mumbai: Three FIRs have been registered against Union Minister Narayan Rane over his remarks about giving “a tight slap” to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who he claimed was ignorant of the country’s year of independence. The complaints were registered in Pune, Nashik and Mahad.

Nashik Cyber police registered an FIR on a complaint from the Shiv Sena's local chief, following which the police commissioner issued an order to arrest the Union minister and formed a team, led by DCP Sanjay Barkund, for the same.

Another FIR was registered under sections 153 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code at the Chaturshringi Police Station of Pune city, following a complaint by Yuva Sena, according to news agency ANI. The third FIR was lodged at Mahad based on a complaint filed by a Sena worker.

The Union minister later said he had no information about any legal complaint being registered against him, adding that he was not a conman and had not committed any crime. "I have no information that an FIR has been registered against me. I am not a common man. I have not committed any crime. Is it not a crime if someone does not know about August 15? I had said that I would have slapped - these were the words and it is not a crime," he said.

Rane triggered the controversy while addressing a Jan Ashirvad Yatra of the BJP in Raigad district on Monday. The BJP leader, who was recently inducted into the Narendra Modi cabinet, and former Shiv Sena chief minister said Thackeray forgot the year of independence during his August 15 address to the people of the state and had he been present at the spot, he would have slapped him.

“It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap,” Rane said.

Thackeray had to check the year of independence with his aides midway during the speech that day, Rane said.

Rane’s remarks drew sharp reactions from the ruling Shiv Sena, whose workers put several posters in Mumbai and other places, calling him a ‘kombdi chor’ (chicken stealer), a reference to the poultry shop he ran in Chembur five decades ago, during his initial stint with the Bal Thackeray-led party. The Sena’s Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut said Rane has lost his mental balance. “To impress BJP leadership, Rane has been attacking Shiv Sena and its leaders. He has lost his mental balance after his induction into the Modi-led ministry. Modi should show him the door,” Raut said.