Complaint against BJP MLA Nitesh Rane over hate speech at Ram Navami event
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Mumbai: A complaint has been filed against Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitesh Rane for alleged hate speech during a Ram Navami procession in Mumbai’s Malvani area, according to reports.
The complaint was lodged by a resident, Shanul Syed, at the Malvani police station on Friday. It alleges that a speech delivered by Rane a day earlier was “provocative, inflammatory and hurtful to Muslims”.
Videos circulating on social media show Rane addressing the procession on Thursday, warning that anyone who looked at the saffron flag with ill intent would have their eyes gouged out and that he would “play marbles” with them.
The remarks came amid tensions in the area after members of the Hindu community reportedly attempted to hoist a saffron flag near a mosque, leading to a clash on Wednesday night. A video of the incident was widely shared online.
During his address, Rane also said that “some people might have forgotten that this is a Hindu Rashtra [Hindu nation]” and added, “This is not anyone’s father’s Pakistan.”
The BJP leader has previously drawn criticism for a series of controversial remarks targeting Muslims. In November, he had demanded that non-Hindus should not be allowed to set up shops at the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik.
In July, Rane said the Opposition should ask Muslims to teach Marathi in madrasas and recite the azaan in the language instead of Urdu, adding that “otherwise, all you get from there is a gun”. The azaan, the Islamic call to prayer, is traditionally recited in Arabic.
In June, he sparked another controversy by questioning why environmentalists and animal rights activists were not calling for Bakri Eid to be observed “virtually”, alleging that such groups selectively targeted Hindu festivals like Holi and Diwali. Bakri Eid, also known as Eid al-Adha, commemorates the spirit of sacrifice and involves the slaughter of livestock.
At the time, Pyare Khan, chairperson of the Maharashtra Minority Commission, accused Rane of making divisive remarks and targeting Muslims, and said he had invoked the name of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inappropriately.
In April 2025, Khan had also accused Rane of repeatedly engaging in hate speech, following remarks in which the minister allegedly urged Hindus to check the religion of shopkeepers before making purchases.
In his complaint, Syed cited several past cases against Rane, noting that multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered against him in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in recent years. Of the 12 FIRs filed, five were registered in 2024 alone, including two at the Malvani police station, reports said.