Narayan Rane granted bail after arrest over 'slap' remark against Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray

The FIR at Mahad was registered under IPC sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief).

Condemning his arrest, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda said that Narayan Rane's arrest over his remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was a violation of constitutional values, and his party will not be cowed down by such actions.

In a tweet, Nadda said the "huge" response the BJP has received in its 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' has jolted its rivals. "We fight democratically. The yatra will continue," he said.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale said it was wrong to arrest his cabinet colleague and BJP leader Narayan Rane over his objectionable remark against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and maintained such statements have been made by the Shiv Sena against others without inviting similar action.

Rane had said that he would have slapped Thackeray over the latter's ignorance of the year of India's independence. “It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap,” Rane had said.

Rane's remarks have set off protests in Mumbai and several other cities which included pelting of stones and vandalising offices of BJP in some areas by Shiv Sena cadres.

Meanwhile, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar asserted that Rane was acting according to his "Sanskar".  I do not want to get into this matter. He is acting as per his Sanskar (values imbibed during formative years)," Pawar told reporters when asked for his reaction. Pawar's party shares power in Maharashtra with the Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena and Congress.