Nitesh Rane, a BJP MLA and his brother, Nilesh, have been arrested for commenting on Sharad Pawar

The sons of Union minister Narayan Rane, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane and former MP Nilesh Rane were arrested for allegations that NCP Chief Sharad Pawar had ties to fugitive Dawood Ibrahim. On the complaint of NCP leader Suraj Chavan, who alleged that Nitesh and Nilesh were defaming Pawar by making false claims, a case was filed at Mumbai's Azad Maidan Police Station. The charges were also made to harass the NCP, according to the complaint.

 

The case was filed under sections 153 (wantonly inciting rioting), 497 (defamation), and 570 of the Indian Penal Code (punishment for defamation). " If MVA and Pawar Ji are so fond of Dawood Ibrahim, they should take down Gandhi Ji's portrait and replace it with Dawood's. After we exposed the MVA government, cases were launched against us," Nitesh Rane claimed.

 

Nilesh had previously questioned NCP leaders at a news conference about their failure to request the resignation of senior minister Nawab Malik, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. "Why hasn't Sharad Pawar, the NCP's leader, asked Nawab Malik to resign?" Why? It just serves to indicate that there is a link between Pawar and Dawood  Ibrahim?" he had inquired. It was roundly chastised by the NCP, which dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @fpjindia