Will attack you inside mosques: BJP MLA Nitesh Rane booked for threatening Muslims

Mumbai: Police in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district have booked BJP MLA Nitesh Rane for provocative speeches in which he threatened Muslims.

Rane addressed two public meetings in Shrirampur and Topkhana areas in support of Hindu seer Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, who was in the news last month for making derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

Rane said there would be repercussions if the Maharaj is harmed.

In a viral video, Rane can be heard saying if anyone says anything against Ramgiri Maharaj, “We will enter your mosques and hit you one by one. Keep this in mind.” A police official said Monday that two FIRs have been registered against Rane at Shrirampur and Topkhana police stations.

Sharing the video, AIMIM spokesperson, Waris Pathan, in a post on X requested Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to arrest Rane.

महाराष्ट्र अहमदनगर में bjp के विधायक नीतीश राने पुलिस प्रशासन के सामने खुली धमकी दे रहे है कि मुसलमानों को मस्जिद में घुस कर चुन चुन कर मारेंगे।पूरी स्पीच में मुसलमानों के ख़िलाफ़ नफ़रत फैला रहा है।
ये भड़काऊ भाषण है हेट स्पीच है।

bjp महाराष्ट्र में चुनाव के पहले सांप्रदायिक… pic.twitter.com/uAcvBbZi4S

— Waris Pathan (@warispathan) September 1, 2024

“Rane is spreading hatred against Muslims in his entire speech. This is inflammatory speech, hate speech. BJP is trying to create communal violence in Maharashtra before the state assembly elections,” Pathan said.

Ramgiri Maharaj has been accused of making derogatory comments about Prophet Mohammad and Islam. Cases have been registered against him at many places in Maharashtra and Muslim leaders have been demanding his arrest.