Amid speculation about BJP MLA Nitesh Rane's possible arrest in an attempt to murder case, his father and Union minister Narayan Rane on Tuesday claimed his son was being falsely implicated in the case and the MVA government in Maharashtra was misusing its power.
Addressing a news conference in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, Narayan Rane said this was being done ahead of the Sindhudurg District Cooperative Bank elections. A win in the cooperative bank polls will help "cover up" the past irregularities committed by leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) in the cooperative bank, the Union minister alleged.
He questioned why the top police brass, including the Director-General of Police, have been camping in the district. "Nitesh is being falsely implicated in a case. (IPC) Section 307 (attempt to murder) has been invoked in a case where the complainant had bruises. Nitesh was not there when the incident occurred,” he told reporters. “This is being done ahead of the Sindhudurg District Cooperative Bank elections. The state government is misusing its power.”
Nitesh Rane, who represents Kankavli Assembly seat in Sindhudurg district of Konkan region, had filed an anticipatory bail application in the attempt to murder case to seek relief from any coercive action against him. The complaint is linked to the alleged attack on a person, Santosh Parab (44).
Notably, Shiv Sena leaders recently demanded that MLA Nitesh Rane be suspended over his alleged inappropriate behaviour towards State Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray. Raising the issue in the state Assembly on Monday, Sena MLA Suhas Kande had alleged that last week, Nitesh Rane, while sitting on the Vidhan Bhavan premises, made "meow" sounds in the direction of Thackeray, who he was going inside the building.
Asked about Nitesh Rane's behaviour, Narayan Rane refuted the allegations. "He did a very good job as an MLA in the House which has irked the MVA government. We are not the ones who are going to be afraid of such actions,” he said.
Narayan Rane quit the Shiv Sena in 2005. The Konkan region has seen an intense rivalry between him and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is also the present Shiv Sena president.
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