BJP's Chandrakant Patil slams Shiv Sena over arrest warrant issued against Narayan Rane

In a big development, Union Minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane on Tuesday triggered a fresh row after his derogatory remarks against Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Following his remarks, an arrest warrant was issued against Rane. Issuing the first response, the BJP has hit back at the Shiv Sena after multiple FIRs were registered against the Union Minister. 

'Jan Ashirwad Yatra will go on': Maharashtra BJP chief hits back at Shiv Sena 

After the FIR was registered against Narayan Rane in Nashik city by Sena leader Sudhakar Badgujar, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil remarked on Twitter that the BJP's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' will go on. In addition, he asserted that the law of land is not weak enough to arrest Narayan Rane for his 'one statement'. In addition, Patil has also slammed the Sena and stated that it is doing such politics in order to stall BJP's gains in the Konkan region. He added that the BJP's base is growing in Konkan, which is considered a Shiv Sena stronghold. 

"The Jan Ashirwad Yatra will go on, Narayan Rane has completed visiting Raigad and he will now visit Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in the Konkan region. These are strongholds of Shiv Sena and that is why they are doing these things. They want to stop it as BJP is gaining ground there," tweeted Chandrakant Patil.

"The yatra will not stop because of his one statement. There's no reason to stop it," Patil added.

Arrest warrant issued against Narayan Rane 

An arrest warrant was issued against Union Minister Narayan Rane after he used derogatory remarks against Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. The incident came to light during his interaction in Mahad as a part of the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' on Monday. Rane had claimed that the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray forgot the year of Independence during a public event on August 15. The Union Minister further said that he would have slapped Thackeray had he been present on the occasion. 

"That day, he asked someone- India marks how many years of Independence... If I was there, I would have slapped him. You don't know about the country's Independence!" said Rane during his interaction. 

Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey informed that the FIR was registered against Rane based on the complaint of Shiv Sena's Nashik city president Sudhakar Badgujar. Rane has been booked under sections 153B(1), 500 and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code. Expressing the apprehension that the common person might be incited to use force due to these remarks, Pandey directed the immediate arrest of the Union Minister following which he will be produced before a court of law. Sources informed Republic TV that a team of the Nashik Police has left for Chiplun to arrest the Union Minister.