The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a factual report from the Maharashtra government after Independent Lok Sabha member Navneet Rana alleged in a letter to Speaker Om Birla that she was discriminated and not provided water at Mumbai’s Khar police station as she belonged to a Scheduled Caste.
On Tuesday, Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey on Twitter released a 12-second video grab, reportedly of the police station where the Rana couple are seen sitting and sipping a hot beverage. “Do we say anything more,” Mr. Pandey said while sharing the video clip on Twitter.
The Amaravati MP was arrested on April 23 along with her husband MLA, Ravi Rana, for giving a call to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence ‘Matoshree’ in Mumbai. They are presently in jail.
The MHA sought a factual report from the State government on Ms. Rana’s allegation about her arrest and “inhuman treatment” allegedly meted out to her at thepolice station, an official said.
Panel’s directive
The move came after the Lok Sabha Privilege and Ethics Committee asked the MHA to seek a report from the State government. The lawmaker couple was slapped with sedition charge.
The Lok Sabha member has demanded strict action against Mr. Pandey and claimed that the action against her and her husband was taken on the directions of the Chief Minister.
In her letter to Mr. Birla, she alleged that she was denied water for the entire night at the Khar police station because she was a Dalit, adding that the police staff told her that since she belonged to Scheduled Caste they would not give her water in the same glass.
