Barricades were set up and a team of police officers were seen outside ‘Matoshree’ on Saturday. This came hours before Independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife, MP Navneet Rana, begin recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s family home.
The couple, however, have been facing protests but say that they are undeterred. ‘Maharashtra CM ordered Shiv Sena workers to heckle us. They’re breaking the barricades. I’m reiterating that I’ll go outside and will chant Hanuman Chalisa at ‘Matroshree’. CM only knows how to throw people in jail,’ said MP Navneet Rana as Shiv Sena workers protested outside their residence in Mumbai.
Ravi Rana has alleged that Shiv Sainiks were throwing stones at their house and they have been “placed under house arrest by the police”.
A day ago, Ravi was quoted as saying that the MLA had demanded that CM Uddhav Thackeray read Hanuman Chalisa on Hanuman Jayanti to rid Maharashtra of crises and achieve peace for the state. ‘The chief minister did not visit Mantralaya for two years during the Covid pandemic and did not meet MPs and MLAs from the state,’ Ravi quoted a day ago.
Elaborating on his statement,’We wanted to recite the Chalisa for the welfare of the state but the chief minister is opposing it. Had Balasaheb been alive today, this would not have happened. Those who are Hanuman bhakts are supporting us.’
The MLA further said that Maharashtra is suffering because of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. ‘CM is not able to maintain law and order. He’s murdering the constitution. Thackeray should stop the Shiv Sainiks from taking law and order in their hands. The democracy is under threat,’ he said.
Earlier on Friday, Ravi Rana wrote on social media: ‘Police aren’t allowing us to step outside our house. Shiv Sena workers trying to attack our residence. We’ve always considered ‘Matoshree’ as a temple. Uddhav Thackeray only seeking political gains.’
Shiv Sena leader Anil Desai, who was deployed outside ‘Matoshree’, said, ‘They (MLA Ravi Rana and MP Navneet Rana) have challenged the law and order situation. They were prompted to do this by someone. Shiv Sena workers are here to protect ‘Matoshree’. Police are taking care of the situation.’
A day ago, the couple was served a notice by Mumbai police, asking them not to disturb the law and order situation in the city. According to a report by Punjab Times , the Ranas had demanded that the CM should chant the ‘Chalisa’ on Hanuman Jayanti outside Matoshree, failing which they said they would come to Mumbai and recite it outside ‘Matoshree’.
The couple made the announcement soon after MNS chief Raj Thackeray gave an ultimatum that the party would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques if their loudspeakers were not removed by May 3.
The report stated that the Shiv Sena leaders in response warned the Ranas that they would get a fitting response from the party rank if they proceeded with their plan. Soon after their announcement on Friday, hundreds of Shiv Sainiks started gathering outside the building. Former mayor Kishori Pednekar too was seen at Thackerays’ residence. ‘We are waiting, we’ll keep Hanuman Chalisa in front of us. We’re waiting to teach them a lesson,’ she said.
The chief minister, who resides at his official residence Varsha in South Mumbai, arrived at Matoshree on Friday afternoon with his son, environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, and addressed the crowd. Shiv Sena leaders, including MPs Vinayak Raut and Anil Desai, were also present.
‘Please go home. Nobody has the guts to come here. You have been here throughout the day. I request you to go home,’ Thackeray was quoted telling Shiv Sainiks.
Unfazed by the police notice issued to them, Ravi and Navneet Rana said, ‘We will go there (Matoshree) to read the Hanuman Chalisa at 9am. We will cooperate with the police. I have asked our workers to ensure that law and order is not disturbed in Mumbai.’