Islamophobic Remarks :
A politician affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is Nitesh Narayanrao Rane. He is the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representative for the Maharashtra state seat of Kankavali assembly. He is the current Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in the Modi government, and the son of the former Chief Minister of the state. Rane joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after his father’s party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, merged with the latter in October 2019. Rane was elected from the Kankavali assembly constituency.
Rane’s political career has been marred by disputes, one of which involves a murder attempt claim. Chintu Shaikh, a Muslim owner of a small business, said to the police in 2010 that Rane and his friends had shot at him and damaged his store. The matter is still pending in court, despite the fact that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cleared Rane in 2012. Shaikh argues that Rane was given preferential treatment because of his political ties.
When Rane made disparaging remarks against Uddhav Thakrey, his political rival, in July 2023, there was a big uproar and protests from the transgender community and other groups.
A number of people, including Rane, made threats of violence and genocide against Muslims during the Sakal Hindu Samaj’s Jan Akrosh Morcha in Solapur, Maharashtra, in June 2023. In a widely disseminated speech, Rane openly threatened Muslims with death, saying, “If anyone dares to praise [Muslim emperor] Aurangzeb, we will send them to the graveyard.”
Similar to this, Rane threatened Muslims with widespread violence during another divisive speech he gave in September 2023 in the Pune area of Maharashtra in front of hundreds of people. “Our police brothers will also support us when we start pulling them (Muslims) out,” he stated. Find out how much the police assisted us following the riots caused by the demolition of the Babri Masjid. We’ve got the expertise. You don’t know our past, so don’t laugh in front of us. Visit Ram Mandir to witness its inception. This is how you used to enjoy yourself in the name of Babri Masjid, too.
“How many police personnel will there be in those premises – maybe one hundred, and how many are we?,” Rane said, threatening to attack mosques while surrounded by police officers. Everyone will leave the mosque with sore faces if we go inside. How long will it take us, exactly?
Referring to Muslims as “Jihadis” and foreigners, he maintained that India is a “Hindu Rashtra,” or nation dedicated solely to the Hindu people. “India is a Hindu Rashtra,” he proclaimed. Given that eighty percent of the population is Hindu, why do you give Jihadis special treatment?