Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday defended sedition charges slapped against MP Navneet Rana and her husband following the Hanuman Chalisa row. Speaking to a News18 reporter, the Shiv Sena leader claimed the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree, the family residence of CM Uddhav Thackeray, could pose a security threat to PM Narendra Modi during his visit to Mumbai.
Rana Couple faces sedation charges, remanded judicial custody.#HanumanChalisaRow | @priyankac19, Shiv Sena shares her views on Hanuman Chalisa politics in Maharashtra with @siddhantvm.
— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 25, 2022
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When asked how she would justify her party’s decision to press sedition charges against MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana, Priyanka Chaturvedi, in all seriousness, said that the party need not be defensive about its stand. “I’ll be honest and upfront”, she said, as she evoked the January 2022 incident of PM Narendra Modi’s security breach in Punjab and added that the Hanuman Chalisa recitation outside Matoshree could have posed a security threat to PM Modi during his visit to the country’s financial capital.
It may be recalled that on January 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cavalcade was stalled for about 20 minutes on a flyover in Punjab owing to farmers blocking the flyover. A huge security breach occurred when private automobiles were spotted approaching the cavalcade. According to the MHA, the Punjab government failed to deploy adequate security to ensure the safety of any road traffic. The Punjab Police had reportedly directed the protesters towards the flyover where the PM’s convoy was about to pass.
In reference to the aforementioned incident, the Shiv Sena MP asked the reporter if he remembered what transpired. She stated that the Prime Minister had then taken a swipe at the Punjab CM during his return from Punjab. The Shiv Sena MP went on to say, “the next day the PM of the country is visiting Maharashtra, is visiting the city of Mumbai where a member of the Parliament is creating law and order disruptions. Creating a problem which could threaten the security of the Prime Minister of India. Maharashtra is well within in rights to take suitable action to ensure that the PM of our country gets the best safety standard in the city that is known for its best law and order mechanism”.
The Shiv Sena MP was referring to PM Modi’s scheduled visit to Mumbai on April 24 (Sunday) to receive the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award.
It is notable to mention that the couple had withdrawn their plan to chant Hanuman Chalisa before Matoshree, and they were actually arrested from their home.
Earlier in the day, OpIndia also reported how hours after a Mumbai Court remanded Ravi Rana to 14-day judicial custody, the Badnera MLA was shifted to the Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai on Sunday (April 24) night. The independent MLA was first taken to the Arthur Road jail but was shifted to Taloja jail due to ‘overcrowding.’ Meanwhile, his wife Navneet Rana has been taken to Byculla women’s jail.
The Background of the Case
MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana were earlier arrested by Mumbai police for planning to recite Hanuman Chalisa before Matoshree, the family residence of CM Uddhav Thackeray. Though they had later withdrawn their plan, the duo was arrested from their home. Charges of sedition were also pressed against them.
They were produced before Bandra Court on Sunday (April 24) and sentenced to 14 days in judicial custody. Both of them were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and Section 135 of the Mumbai Police Act (violation of prohibitory orders).
The court has listed the matter for a bail application on April 29, 2022.
