On his part, BJP Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane, himself no stranger to controversies, got into damage control mode and sought to calm frayed nerves, saying he has chided his son over the remarks.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has criticized his cabinet colleague, Nitesh Rane, for making "misleading" statements about Muslims not being part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army. Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, called for restraint from political leaders and stressed the importance of maintaining communal harmony in the state. He emphasized that Shivaji Maharaj never discriminated based on caste or creed and highlighted the contributions of Muslims during his reign.
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane criticizes Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's joint rally, calling it divisive and anti-Hindu. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar offers a more conciliatory view.
In the video clip that has gone viral on the social media, Rane and Kankavli Municipal Council president Samir Nalawade are purportedly seen tying Deputy Engineer Prakash Khedekar of the National Highways Authority of India to the railing of a bridge and pouring buckets of mud on him.
Chavan submitted to the police some video clips in which the Rane brothers, sons of Union minister Narayan Rane, were purportedly seen making the remarks.
Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Nitesh Rane on Wednesday surrendered before a court in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra in an alleged attempt to murder case.
His remarks come after the Sindhudurg Police registered an FIR against Nilesh Rane on Friday on the charge of trespassing on a BJP supporter's house, days after the Shiv Sena MLA alleged that bags of cash meant for distribution to voters were found there during his "sting operation".
The assault on the engineer came days after a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator assaulted an official with a cricket bat in Madhya Pradesh.
Additional sessions judge R B Rote also held that the custodial interrogation of Nitesh Rane, the son of Union minister Narayan Rane, was necessary as police probe into the matter was 'incomplete.'
Congress MLA Nitesh Rane has stoked a controversy by saying that he wants to begin Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Clean India' campaign from Mumbai by cleaning the city of all the Gujaratis who hate Marathis.
The Sindhudurg police on Saturday registered an FIR against Nilesh Rane, an MLA of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, for "trespassing" into a BJP supporter's house. The Shiv Sena leader had 'raided' the BJP supporter's home and claimed to have found bags of cash meant for distribution to voters ahead of civic polls.
The Congress MLA and others were produced before a local court which granted them bail, the official said.
Shiv Sena leader Shahajibapu Patil accuses the BJP of undermining him politically by supporting his rival in Sangola during the Maharashtra assembly elections. He claims the BJP helped PWP candidate Babasaheb Deshmukh despite his support for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.
In a setback to Nitesh Rane, the son of Maharashtra Minister Narayan Rane, a local court has rejected closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a case where he is accused of shooting at a man and directed a detailed probe.
Rane also questioned Uddhav Thackeray's right to comment on the match, accusing his party of staying silent when pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised at a rally by one of its MPs.
Senior BJP leader Narayan Rane hints at retirement, citing family business and political climate as reasons for stepping back from active politics.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP and former Union minister Narayan Rane has dismissed speculation about his retirement, saying his remarks made at a public rally recently were misinterpreted and reaffirming his commitment to active politics.
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane has sparked controversy by claiming that Muslims did not vote for the BJP-led government and warning against disrespecting Hindu deities. His remarks follow tensions over alleged desecration of a Durga idol and previous controversial statements about Muslim voters.
Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam reiterates his claim that Bal Thackeray's body was kept at his residence for two days before his death was announced, making further allegations against Uddhav Thackeray. Other politicians weigh in, demanding answers and clarifications.
Under fire over his remarks about Gujaratis living in Mumbai, Swabhimaan Sanghatana chief Nitesh Rane today said his statement was not against all Gujaratis, but directed at only those amongst them who felt that Gujarat under Narendra Modi was doing better than Maharashtra.
In a surprising turn, rival Shiv Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray have joined forces with NCP factions to contest local elections in Maharashtra's Barshi taluka, setting aside political differences.
Congress candidate from Kankavli constituency in Maharashtra Nitesh Rane said he has earned his candidature for the legislative assembly elections through his work and not because he is the son of former chief minister Narayan Rane.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has criticized the State Election Commission's decision to postpone some local body elections, calling it unfair to candidates. The decision follows petitions and sub judice matters, which Fadnavis argues should not halt the election process. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expressed disappointment, while tensions rise between BJP and Shiv Sena in Sindhudurg ahead of local polls.
Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane, a BJP leader, has sparked controversy by stating that supporters of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties will not receive development funds for their areas. He urged opposition party members to join the BJP if they wanted development in their constituencies. His remarks drew strong criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned his adherence to his oath of office.
Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has sparked outrage with his controversial remarks calling for Hindus to ask the religion of shopkeepers before buying from them, following the Pahalgam terror attack. Rane's comments, delivered at a gathering in Dapoli town, have been widely condemned as divisive and inflammatory. His call for Hindu organizations to demand such a practice has raised concerns about potential communal tensions and prejudice. Rane's remarks also referenced Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and urged Hindus to only buy from other Hindus, further fueling anxieties about communal harmony.
Pawar was apparently referring to MLA Nitesh Rane, who in a recent video can be seen telling a gathering that they should have business transactions only with Hindus.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and questioned the need for Rane to remain part of the cabinet.
According to the Pune city police, the FIR has been filed under provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1959, for allegedly violating restrictions applicable to protected monuments.
Nitesh won the 2014 assembly polls from Kankavli seat in Sindhudurg district on Congress's ticket by defeating the then BJP MLA Pramod Jathar.
'I am still someone who will open my mouth and speak if I find something is wrong or I dislike anything. Nothing can make me quiet,' Maharashtra Minister Narayan Rane, whose son Nitesh was arrested in Goa this week, tells Neeta Kolhatkar.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane criticizes MNS after alleged assault on a man for not speaking Marathi, sparking political controversy.
Satish Salian, the father of Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking a fresh probe into her death in 2020. The petition alleges that Disha Salian was brutally raped and murdered and that there was a politically-orchestrated cover-up to protect certain influential persons. The petition names Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and calls for the probe to be transferred to the CBI. The petition also claims that the Mumbai police hastily closed the case as a suicide or accidental death without considering forensic evidence. Salian's death occurred on June 8, 2020, after she fell from the 14th floor of a residential building. The city police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) case at the time. The case has drawn renewed attention after Rajput's death on June 14, 2020, which was also initially ruled a suicide but was later handed over to the CBI. The petition has sparked reactions from various political figures, with some calling for Thackeray to resign and face the investigation.
Aaditya Thackeray refuses to comment on the Disha Salian case, while Nitesh Rane insists the matter is not closed and justice will be served.
Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday emerged victorious in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also vanquished the alliance of Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in the Pune civic body.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane reportedly made derogatory remarks saying, "EVM means, Every Vote against Mullah."
The real surprise in these results came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. Of the 29 Muslim candidates who got elected to the 227-strong BMC, the Congress and the AIMIM between them bagged 22.
A court in Mumbai on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to Union minister Narayan Rane and his MLA son Nitesh Rane in a case of allegedly making defamatory and misleading statements about Disha Salian, the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Narayan Rane, son get protection from arrest till March 10
'Jhatka' meat is the flesh of animals slaughtered by a single blow of the blade.
The 'Malhar' nomenclature of a platform announced by Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane for certifying mutton shops exclusively operated by Hindu community members has divided trustees of the famous Malhari Martand temple. One trustee has demanded a name change as the deity is "vegetarian" and loves animals, while another trustee supports the use of 'Malhar'. The certification program aims to certify 'jhatka' mutton shops, which are 100% operated by Hindus.
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