Maharashtra: Narayan Rane discharged in case against Uddhav Thackeray over 'slap remark'

Mumbai: Chief Judicial Magistrate (Raigad-Alibaug) SW Ugale has discharged Narayan Rane from a case registered against him at Mahad in Raigad.

Six FIRs were filed against Rane at Mahad, Nashik, Pune, Thane, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar over his remark that he would have slapped Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the latter’s ignorance of the year of India’s independence. He had claimed Thackeray forgot the year of Independence during his August 15 address to the people of the State. Rane had later defended his remarks against Thackeray, saying he hasn't committed any crime by making them. Thackeray was the CM from November 2019 to June 2022.

The FIR registered against Rane at Mahad was under sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code in 2021.

Rane filed an application seeking discharge from case

Rane filed an application before the magistrate seeking discharge from the case alleging that the case was politically motivated and hence bad in law. His lawyer Satish Maneshinde argued that the union minister had made a statement against then Chief Minister’s conduct. “He didn't make any statement which was promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever,” argued Maneshinde.

Also, the alleged statement was not likely to cause any disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, he argued.