Maharashtra: BJP MLA Nitesh Rane booked for "demolition of mosques" remark during Solapur rally

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Police in Maharashtra's Solapur has registered an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane and the party's Telangana legislator T Raja Singh and others for hate speeches during a 'Hindu Jan Aakrosh' rally in the city.

The Solapur rally was held on Saturday between Rajendra Chowk and Kanna Chowk and was also attended by leaders of the Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella body of several hindu outfits, whose office bearers have also been named in the FIR, an official from Jail Road police station told newswire PTI.

While Rane mentioned "jihadis" and demolition of mosques, Singh, MLA from Goshamahal in Hyderabad, allegedly uttered objectionable statements on "love jihad during the Solapur rally", the official said.

"We have booked Rane, Raja Singh, Sakal Hindu Samaj office bearer Sudhakar Mahadev Bahirwade and 8-10 others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code," he said.

The case was registered under sections 153A (creating enmity between two different groups on ground of religion), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and others, he added.

Last month, Rane had sought a ban on halal certification of food items in Maharashtra on the lines of the decision taken by his party's government in Uttar Pradesh.

The UP government, on November 18, banned the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification with immediate effect while exempting products manufactured for export.

Also read: Ban halal-certified foods in Maharashtra, demands BJP MLA Nitesh Rane

Speaking to reporters on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Nagpur on Wednesday, December 23, Rane claimed the money from this process was being used to fund terrorism.

"Halal, jihad and love jihad are major concerns. The money collected in the name of halal certificate is being used to fund terrorism. It is used against the Hindu religion. We have all evidence related to this," he alleged.

"Maharashtra should ban halal certification in the same way that the Uttar Pradesh government has done. There are two companies that provide such certification. They are also from Maharashtra," he claimed.

The Kankavli MLA said he would write to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also hold the home portfolio, in this regard. (With inputs from PTI)