Impose President's Rule in Maharashtra, says MP Navneet Rana; cites Thackeray's 'hooliganism'

Amid the rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and incidents being reported of offices of some rebel MLAs being attacked and damaged, Independent Lok Sabha MP from Amravati Navneet Rana on Saturday sought President's Rule in the state.

Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs raised the banner of revolt against Thackeray on June 21, with the rebel group's main demand being that the Sena withdraw from the ruling MVA, which comprises the NCP and Congress.

In a video message, Rana said, "I want to request (Union) Home minister Amit Shah to secure the families of all the MLAs who have gone to the original Shiv Sena group, which is the one led by Eknath Shinde." "President's Rule must be imposed in Maharashtra so that the hooliganism of Uddhav Thackeray is stopped and people of Maharashtra are protected from it," she said.

Rane and her MLA husband Ravi Rana are bitter critics of Thackeray and had, in April, announced that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of Matoshree, the Sena chief's private home in Mumbai's Bandra. The couple was arrested on April 23 and released on bail in early May.