Union Min Narayan Rane vows to continue BJP's Jan Ashirwad Yatra, slams MVA govt over FIRs

The Mumbai Police on Friday registered 19 FIRs against BJP leaders and workers for alleged violations of COVID norms during the party's "Jan Ashirwad Yatra'. This event was organised by Union Minister Narayan Rane and was held in different parts of Mumbai. Seven FIRs were registered at Vile Parle, Kherwadi, Mahim, Shivaji Park, Dadar, Chembur and Govandi police stations in Mumbai. The remaining were registered at Azad Maidan, Gamdevi, Agripada, Sion, Kalachowky and airport police stations. All the FIRs were registered on Thursday, police said. The accused are organisers and activists of the Yatra on whom 149 Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) notices were served.

BJP leaders lash out at MVA govt

Union Minister Narayan Rane along with former CM Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders lashed out at the Maharashtra government for being biased in their judgement and for their failure in tackling the pandemic situation. The Union Minister will continue to visit the suburbs of Mumbai despite the FIRs lodged against the party organisers and activists.

 "I don't care about the FIRs, we are also seeing that many rallies have been conducted during the pandemic. But no action was taken on them. The government has failed in their management of the COVID situation," Rane said. Rane further added that the Maharashtra government was making money from medicines and he did not care about any objection from such people.

Union Minister Narayan Rane on Friday hit out at NCP chief Sharad Pawar, saying that he was criticising the Union government over the reservation issue "out of frustration". Rane was speaking to reporters here as a part of his ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’. Pawar had recently criticised the Union government's decision of delegating powers to states to identify a community as backward, saying the Centre has tied up the hands of the states while offering a full meal.

The NCP supremo had also asked the Centre to enact a law to remove the Supreme Court-mandated 50% cap on reservations and allow states to exceed the existing quota limit. Responding to a query over Pawar’s statements, Rane said, “He (Pawar) is a mature politician, he should know how to untie hands. He is critical of the Union government out of his own frustration. Some of his colleagues are now likely to go to jail…You all know who."

Jan Ashirwad Yatra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 10 had announced that the newly-inducted cabinet ministers would go for the Jan Ashirwad Yatra from August 16 and the remaining Union Cabinet Ministers would do it on August 19. The yatra sought to inform people about the achievements of BJP-led central government in internal, external, economic, social and health spheres. Several Opposition leaders had objected to the yatras in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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