Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarify whether he supports the "inflammatory" statements made by minister Nitesh Rane.
If not, the chief minister should expel Rane from the cabinet, he added.
"Maharashtra has a glorious history of great saints and noble leaders. However, individuals with a particular ideology are deliberately spreading false information, distorting history, and polluting the social environment," the Congress leader said in a press statement.
Sapkal said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established Swarajya by including warriors from all castes. He never fostered hatred against anyone. However, the BJP is now misusing his name to disrupt Maharashtra’s social harmony, said the Congress leader.
"As part of this agenda, provocative statements are being made using fisheries and ports minister Nitesh Rane as a front. People should recognise the BJP’s sinister plot to Talibanize Maharashtra," Sapkal said.
“This minister is openly dictating from whom people should or should not buy meat. Who gave him the authority to decide what someone should eat or from whom they should purchase? Whether it is Halal, Jhatka, or anything else, that decision lies with the people, not with the minister,” the Congress leader said.
Sapkal further stated that Rane lacks knowledge, understanding, and depth, and is merely exploiting his proximity to power by making public statements like “My boss is at Sagar Bungalow, and no one can touch me.”
The Congress leader alleged that Rane's sole objective is to spread hatred in society.
Sapkal claimed that, previously, Rane’s "goons" had assaulted a young man named Sheikh Ashraf in Kankavli, forcing him to chant "Jai Shri Ram". Despite the court's directive for action, no steps have been taken. Rane continues to make openly communal statements, attempting to incite riots. Yet, there has been no action against him. "Is the chief minister and police department asleep?," Sapkal asked.
He said Rane’s claim that "Shivaji Maharaj’s army did not have a single Muslim soldier" is a blatant display of his ignorance.
"His statements clearly show he lacks any historical knowledge. In reality, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s army included key Muslim figures: Sarnobat Noor Khan Beg, artillery chief Ibrahim Khan, bodyguard Ibrahim Siddhi, and legal advisor Qazi Haider. During Maharaj’s meeting with Afzal Khan, one of his ten bodyguards was Ibrahim Siddhi. Additionally, when Maharaj was imprisoned in Agra, the Muslim servant Madari Mehter, along with Hiroji Farjad, played a crucial role in his escape. Numerous other Muslim soldiers were part of Shivaji’s army. Those who choose to remain blind and continue spewing venom should be dealt with firmly," said the Congress leader.
Sapkal accused Rane of trampling upon the Constitution and the law by consistently making inflammatory and communal remarks. He demanded that the Chief Minister clarify whether he supports Rane’s actions and, if not, immediately expel him from the cabinet.
