Nitesh Rane booked for his ‘Will attack you inside mosques,’ remark against Muslims

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane faces backlash for threatening Muslims in support of Hindu seer, sparking communal tensions in Maharashtra.

A day after Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) MLA Nitesh Rane allegedly delivered hate speeches threatening a religious community on two separate occasions in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar (officially Ahilya Nagar), the police registered two FIRs against him on Monday (September 2, 2024).

The Sakal Hindu Samaj Andolan held on Sunday (September 1, 2024) in the Shrirampur and Tofkhana region of Ahmednagar district was attended by Mr. Nitesh Rane, son of Union Minister Narayan Rane. A video from the event went viral, where Mr. Nitesh Rane can be seen allegedly making provocative statements targetting a certain religious community and warning them not to utter a single word against Guru Ramgiri Maharaj.

A few weeks ago, an FIR was registered against Ramgiri Maharaj, a head of the religious group Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Sansthan in Shrirampur, for allegedly making inflammatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad and Islam.

Kankavli MLA Mr. Nitesh Rane could be heard saying, “We will enter mosques and kill them one by one if you say anything against our Ramgiri Maharaj.” He further added, “On YouTube, Maulvis are speaking ill about the Hindu religion, If you are concerned about your community do not say a word about the Maharaj.”

Shrirampur and Tofkhana Police Stations, in two different FIRs, booked Mr. Nitesh Rane under various charges, including Section 352 (Intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 351 (criminal intimidation), Section 353 (statements that are likely to cause public mischief, outraging religious feelings) and 35 (Police may arrest without warrant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) of 2023, a Shrirampur police official said.

The organisers have also been named in the FIR, said the Tofkhana police station official. An FIR was registered on September 1 at 11:11 p.m. against Mr. Nitesh Rane and another person identified as Digambar Gentyal.

This is not the first time Mr. Nitesh Rane made hate speeches. He has been booked under Sections 153A (creating enmity between two different religions) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly delivering provocative speeches in Solapur district during a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally in January, this year.