Amidst the controversy over the Hanuman Chalisa, Union minister of state Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said on Monday that Uddhav Thackeray should have welcomed MP Navneet Rana for reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside the Maharashtra chief minister’s house, and made arrangements for it.

The MoS for rural development, who was in Lucknow to chair a key meeting of Food Corporation of India, told News18, “Whatever is happening in Maharashtra is unfortunate. I still remember Bala Saheb Thackeray was a hardcore Hindutvavadi… Navneet Rana was not going to do any riots; she is a respected MP. It would have been better on Uddhav Thackeray’s part if a stage was set up for recitation of Hanuman Chalisa. It was just a recitation, she was not going to bring down the building. Unfortunately, in Maharashtra, saints are beaten up and now recitation of Hanuman Chalisa is causing problems for them.”

The BJP MP from Hamirpur also asked if reciting the Hanuman Chalisa was treason. “It would have been a matter of pride for Uddhav Thackeray if Navneet Rana would have been given a warm welcome to recite Hanuman Chalisa,” she added.

Rana and her husband Ravi were arrested Saturday night after they announced that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Thackeray’s house, causing protests.

On the issue of an NCP leader seeking permission to offer Namaz in front of PM Modi’s residence, the Union minister said, “Such politics is not good, this should end. We can offer Hanuman Chalisa anywhere but Namaz is offered at a pure place like a mosque.”

Meanwhile, she took potshots at Akhilesh Yadav over the growing rift with his uncle Shivpal Yadav after he met jailed MLA Azam Khan amidst dissent within the Samajwadi Party. “Now where is Samajwadi Party left? Even their family members are leaving now. Aparna has left, Shivpal is also unhappy, it is no more Samajwadi Party, rather its Akhileshwadi Party now. Whatever Akhilesh wishes, will happen in that party…”

On the question of alleged atrocities over Azam Khan, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said, “This is their internal matter, if the dissent voices are rising from within their own party then what can the BJP do in that? When you can’t manage your family and party, then you should not blame it on others.”

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