‘Rane’s remark against Uddhav unparliamentary’

Mumbai: Union minister Narayan Rane had made an “unparliamentary” remark against the then Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, but it does not amount to promoting enmity under law as he didn’t target any community, a magistrate court has said while discharging the BJP leader.

The court in Raigad, while discharging Rane in the case on Saturday, also ruled that material and documents on records do not disclose the existence of all the ingredients of offences against him.

Therefore, the charges against the accused are found “groundless”, the court said.

The statement made by the accused can be said as “controversial and politically insensitive” which is not expected from a person who holds the post of Union minister, it added.

Chief Judicial Magistrate (Raigad-Alibag) SW Ugale made the observations while discharging Rane on Saturday in the case pertaining to his controversial remark against Thackeray.

The detailed order was available on Sunday.

The court had issued summons to Rane for offences under Indian Penal Code Secrions 153 A(1 b) (promoting enmity between different groups), 505(2) statements conducing to public mischief),

504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation) after taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by Mahad police in Raigad.

The case against the BJP leader was registered in 2021.

The Union minister had said, “It is shameful that the chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap.”