Navi Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitesh Rane, has been booked by Navi Mumbai police on Sunday for his alleged hate speech against Muslim community at a Ganapti Pandal in Ulwe on September 11. NRI Coastal police had taken a suo motu cognizance of the incident and registered the case.
According to police, the action was taken as per the directions of the apex court to take cognizance of hate speeches. Along with Rane, the organizer of the Ganapati Pandal, Sankalp Gharat, too was booked as he had not taken the required permissions for conducting the event. The complainant in the case is a police constable attached with NRI Coastal police station who was at the bandobast duty during the speech.
Rane, MLA from Sindhudurg district, was invited as chief guest for the event wherein he instigated the crowd gathered there by asking them, not to deal in any business run by Muslims. He further told the crowd to not follow “sarva dharma samabhava”, or equal respect for all religions.
In his speech he said that Hindus are in majority in the country and their ‘sneeze’ is enough to eliminate Muslim community. “As per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, we have taken cognisance and registered a case now the invtigations will be done into the matter and appropriate action will be taken as per the procedure,” deputy commissioner of police (Zone I) Pankaj Dahane, said.
As per the complaint registered, Rane has also made remarks about the community offering Friday prayers and allegedly asked Hindu community to resort to violence whenever needed. The crowd was also allegedly warned to make sure that Muslim community in Ulwe node is not increased.
As per the complaint, Rane has allegedly claimed that the unity of Hindus has got the Muslim community scared and this attitude needs to be maintained. The video of Rane’s speech that is being circulated on social media, the politician is also seen making the devotees to take the pledge to not do any form of business with the Muslim community.
The case has been registered under section 302- offending religious sentiments, 351(2)- criminal intimidation,352 - imprisonment,353(2)- inciting enmity.
