HANUMAN CHALISA: MUMBAI POLICE ARRESTS MLA RAVI RANA AND HIS WIFE MP NAVNEET RANA

(The Quiver): Maharashtra MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana were taken to Khar Police station on Saturday evening amid a faceoff over Hanuman Chalisa. The couple were later arrested by the police.

An FIR has been registered against Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code. Section 153 A is imposed against those found indulging in “wanton vilification or attacks upon the religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc of any particular group or class or upon the founders and prophets of a religion.”

Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana had threatened to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, Matoshree. However, they had called off the protest on Saturday citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mumbai visit.

The Ranas arrived in Mumbai on Friday morning. The MP-MLA couple had announced that they planned to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree — the residence of Uddhav Thackeray. Since then, Shiv Sena workers have gathered at various locations in Mumbai, including Matoshree, daring the Rana couple to venture near Matoshree. On Saturday morning, Shiv Sena workers protested outside the residence of Amravati MP Navneet Rana in Mumbai and broke barricades.