Another case registered against BJP MLA Nitesh Rane over hate speech

Mumbai, Sep 5 (PTI) Police in Maharashtra’s Beed district have booked BJP MLA Nitesh Rane for allegedly targeting Muslims during his recent speeches in Ahmednagar district, an official said on Thursday.

Including the latest FIR, at least four such cases have been registered against the lawmaker in the state.

The Parli city police in the district booked Rane after more than 300 Muslim community members on Wednesday protested outside the police station demanding action, the official said.

Nitesh Rane addressed two public meetings in Shrirampur and Topkhana areas in Ahmednagar district on September 1 in support of Hindu seer Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, who was in the news last month for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

The MLA warned there would be repercussions if the Maharaj was harmed.

The ‘Zero FIR’ in Beed district has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 302 (hurting religious sentiments), 351-2 (criminal intimidation) and 353-2 (statements conducing to public mischief), the official said.

The case was later transferred to Topkhana police station in Ahmednagar district for further investigation, he added.

Earlier, two cases were registered against Nitesh Rane at Topkhana and Shrirampur police stations in Ahmednagar district over the alleged hate speech. The Bhiwandi police in Thane district on Tuesday also booked Rane over the same matter.