Why Is Amravati MP Navneet Rana In Jail?

After cancelling their plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside the house of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray, the couple--Navneet Rana, who is the Member of Parliament from Amravati and her husband Ravi Rana, who is the Member of Legislative Assembly--was arrested by the Mumbai police on April 23 evening.

The couple had at first issued a statement stating that they will be reciting the Chalisa outside Thackeray's residence. But the couple decided to not do so as Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was going to visit the next day, and the couple claimed that they decided not to recite keeping in mind that law and order are maintained when Modi gets there.

However, they were arrested by the police from their home in the suburban Khar. The couple was charged under section 153 (A), which deals with promoting enmity between various groups on the basis of religion, of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Suggested Reading: Who Is Navneet Rana? MP Decides To Chant Hanuman Chalisa Outside Matoshree

Navneet Rana In Jail

Before the couple had changed their plans, Shiv Sena workers had gathered outside their flat in Mumbai and were protesting against the couple's decision. All morning they shouted slogans and at some point in the day, the workers burst through the barriers and attempted to get inside the politicians' houses in the suburban Khar.

The police immediately took control of the situation and thus the breaking in was avoided. But after this incident, the police also increased security outside Matoshree and the road leading to the CM's house. While outside the couple's house police were stationed and Shiv Sena workers still crowded outside their apartment challenging the couple to dare leave it.

Before the matters escalated to this level, on Friday, the couple had been sent a notice asking them not to disrupt the law and order situation. Reacting to the situation, former CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the government handled the situation in a "childish" manner. They could have let the couple go there and chant the Chalisa. This was, according to him, they would not have made to the news. "I don't understand why so many people have collected in various locations as though they were organising an attack. What kind of politics is that?

The Saamana editorial told ANI, "The recent ruckus stirred by the BJP in the name of Hindutva cannot be supported...the BJP is behind this controversy. They had planned to disturb the peace of Mumbai by using the Rana couple and everything happened on their instructions that outraged the Shiv Sena workers and the couple was not allowed to step outside their house."

Who Is Navneet Rana?

Rana is an actor turned politician. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Rana was elected as the MP from the Amravati constituency. She fought the election as an independent candidate, with support from the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

Born in a Punjabi family, she was brought up in Mumbai and just after finishing Class 12, she started modelling. She first made her debut with the Kannada film Darshan. She stopped appearing in films after marrying her husband Ravi Rana, who was a politician. After marriage began her political career.

Feature Image Credit: Siasat Daily