Maharashtra govt acting 'wilfully', they are like Taliban: BJP's Jagannath Sarkar over Narayan Rane's arrest

After the arrest of Union Minister Narayan Rane for his alleged derogatory remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagannath Sarkar on Wednesday compared Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to the Taliban, which has recently seized control in Afghanistan.

Speaking to ANI, Sarkar termed Rane's arrest as "unconstitutional".

"Laws are applicable according to the constitution, but Maharashtra government is acting wilfully. They are just like the Taliban who do not abide by any laws and act how they want," he stated.

Rane was arrested in Ratnagiri district after several FIRs were registered against him at many places including Nashik and Pune, based on the complaints filed by Shiv Sena leaders for his remarks against Thackeray. Rane on Monday accused Thackeray of ignorance about the year of India's independence at an event and said "I would have given (him) a tight slap".

Shiv Sena leaders strongly condemned Rane's remarks and party leader Vinayak Raut sought his removal from the Union Cabinet.

Hours after his arrest, Rane was granted bail by the Magistrate Court in Mahad in Raigad district. The Court also ordered the Union Minister to be present at the Ratnagiri police station for inquiry on August 31 and September 13 and cautioned him not to commit a similar kind of offence in the future.

Many BJP leaders including Union Minister JP Nadda and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned Maharashtra Police for the alleged illegal arrest of Rane.

Sarkar also spoke on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the Central government's National Monetisation Pipeline.

"Everyone knows how Nehru family has thrived through robbing the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the support of the people and the country is progressing under his rule," he said.

Speaking on Gupkar Alliance's resolve to restore Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir, Sarkar said that J-K is a part of India and has been developing rapidly after the Article 370 and 35A were scrapped. "There is development in the field of sports and education and people are happy with the changes," he stated.

( With inputs from ANI )