Mumbai: BJP lashes out at Shiv Sena over arrest of Rana couple, attack on party activists

The Bharatiya Janata Party came out in full force to support Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana while targeting the erstwhile ally Shiv Sena for the deterioration of law and order in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra. A BJP delegation earlier met the Mumbai Commissioner of Police Sanjay Pandey and complained about the attack allegedly by a group of Shiv Sena activists on Mohit Kamboj’s car and also on party’s Pol Khol yatra van in the city. BJP, which is firing salvos against the Shiv Sena and the party led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on a number of issues, on Saturday strongly criticised the arrest of the Rana couple and the alleged misuse of power.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis strongly criticized Shiv Sena and the MVA government saying, ‘’So much dictatorship, so much ego, so much hatred. The government will do the violence, shame on you. The public is watching. Shame on you. Is there no right to express? Why those who sing the praise of democracy are conveniently silent today?’’ He further noted that the spate of incidents in the state are quite distressing.

On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in the state council Pravin Darekar claimed that, "Law and order has completely deteriorated in the state. It is the ruling party workers who have taken the law into their own hands. The stage of the Pol khol rally organized by MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar at Kandivali was damaged. The same thing happened in Dahisar. Mohit Kamboj’s vehicle was attacked.’’ He demanded that the police should book the Shiv Sena activists who were involved in these attacks.

On Rana couple, who wanted to read Hanuman Chalisa in front of Matoshree, Darekar said the Shiv Sena activists marched towards their (Rana’s) home in the city and they were supported by senior party leaders. ‘’Why is the Chief Minister silent? If Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut declares tit for tat, the BJP will also follow the same method against the Shiv Sena,’’ he warned.