Rane acting as per his 'Sanskar', says NCP chief Sharad Pawar

Union minister Narayan Rane was acting according to his "Sanskar", Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said here on Tuesday.

Rane was arrested earlier in the day over his statement that he would have slapped Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for allegedly not knowing India's year of independence. I do not want to get into this matter. He is acting as per his Sanskar (values imbibed during formative years)," Pawar told reporters when asked for his reaction. I do not give any importance to the issue, said the NCP chief, whose party shares power in Maharashtra with the Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena and Congress. Incidentally, Rane had started his political career with the Sena before falling out with the Thackerays and joining the Congress. He later switched allegiance to the BJP.