Hanuman Chalisa: Javadekar calls arrest of Navneet Rana, Ravi 'illegal'

In the wake of the highly-politicised Hanuman Chalisa row in Mumbai, BJP MP Prakash Javadekar hit out at the Maharashtra government for the arrest of MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana for the ruckus outside their Amaravati house.

The former minister said the Maharashtra government has 'freaked out' and added that Hanuman Chalisa-like politics isn't a BJP thing.

"I am surprised. A Lok Sabha MP and an MLA who are also husband and wife, are in their house. They want to go to Matoshree (Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence). If only Section 144 is imposed in and around the Chief Minister's house, the police can stop them. On top of that, they didn't even come out of their house. Then as per which law did the police arrest them? It is illegal to arrest MP and MLA without any reason," said Javadekar.

"They got arrested by the police who did not let them come out of the house since morning. They were not even allowed to go to the market or to the doctor. While no FIR was registered against the Shiv Sainiks who gathered outside Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana's house violating Section 144. What kind of justice is this?" added Javadekar.

The minister said no action is being taken against those who gheraoed their house since morning. "Unfortunately, the law is not adhered to in Maharashtra nor do they make arrests legally. The government has freaked out."

On Saturday, a row erupted when Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana stated that the couple plans to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside 'Matoshree'(Maharashtra CM's Mumbai Residence), after which a huge crowd gathered outside the residence of the political couple waving flags with an aim to prevent them from reaching the Chief Minister's residence.

On Sunday, MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana were sent to judicial custody for 14-days by the Holiday and Sunday court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra.

The MP-MLA couple's application will be heard by the court on April 29. The Mumbai Police has asked them to file their say on the bail plea on April 27.

When asked about the Shiv Sena's allegations that BJP is triggering the controversy, Javadekar said, "The Maharashtra government has freaked out. That is why BJP launched the "Pol Khol" campaign. This is not BJP's politics. Shiv Sena and BJP alliance in 2019 lured vote banks and they amassed votes under the aegis of PM Modi's image but joined hands with BJP's rivals the next moment. Maharashtra had never witnessed such cheating."

Speaking about former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik and dismissed IPS officer Anil Vaze, Javadekar said, "What is happening in Maharashtra! Two of its ministers are behind bars serving their jail terms. Police are involved in murder and the police are involved in placing bombs. How will the state function? Ministers are busy going to the jail."

Javadekar alleged that Shiv Sena party workers attacked Kirit Somaiya and refused to lodge an FIR. "Everyone saw live on television screens, how Kirit was attacked but Mumbai police refused to file an FIR."

The incident took place when Somaiya visited the Khar Police Station after the arrest of MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana.