Mumbai: In a letter written to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday, jailed MP Navneet Rana claimed that she was not given water by the jail authorities "because she belongs to a Scheduled Caste". The Lok Sabha MP from Amravati demanded strict action against Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey, claiming the action against her and her husband MLA Ravi Rana was taken on directions by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
"I was taken to Khar police station on April 23, 2022, where I spent the entire night. The officials there did not give me water to drink, leaving me unattended overnight. I was also racially abused because I belong to a Scheduled Caste. I wanted to use the bathroom at night, but I was again verbally abused and told that they do not allow lower castes to use bathrooms," the MP alleged.
"I, hereby, demand the strictest action to be taken against the Commissioner, Mumbai Police, concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), concerned Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and the police staff," she added. Further taking a dig at CM Uddhav Thackeray in the letter, Rana said, "it seems Thackeray has completely moved away from the Hindutva ideology, thus betraying his people and forming a post-poll mandate with the rival parties only to get a hold of the CM's seat".
"In the hope of rekindling the flame of Hindutva in Shiv Sena, we had announced the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa at the Chief Minister's residence. We did not intend to create any religious tensions while doing so," she added. Navneet and Ravi were arrested by the Khar police on Saturday under section 153A for allegedly making statements that may create religious rifts between two groups after they gave a call for the chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Thackeray's private residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai.
A day later, the couple was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a Bandra court, while another case was registered against them under Section 353. Though the couple had filed a petition demanding to quash the FIR registered against them, the Bombay High Court dismissed it on Monday. Navneet Rana's letter came a few hours after her health was reported to be deteriorating, as she remains in police custody in the Byculla jail in Mumbai.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Monday sought details from the Maharashtra government within 24 hours following the allegations made by Navneet Rana against the police after her arrest, sources said in New Delhi. An aide of the parliamentarian said in Amravati that the Secretariat has forwarded the letter to the Union home ministry.
