Nitesh Rane sparks controversy, says clean Mumbai of Marathi-hating Gujjus

Congress MLA Nitesh Rane has stoked a controversy by saying that he wants to begin Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Clean India’ campaign from Mumbai by cleaning the city of all the Gujaratis who hate Marathis.

“Want to take part in Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan, start from Mumbai! Want to start cleaning up all the Marathi hating Gujjus from there once for all,” Rane posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

Nitesh, the son of senior Congress leader Narayan Rane, had earlier also courted controversy by alleging that the Gujarati community was trying to take control over Mumbai.

“We are not against Gujaratis who want to remain in harmony, but are against those who want to take control of the city,” Nitesh had then tweeted.

Defending his anti-Gujarati tweet posted on Wednesday, Rane on Thursday said attention should also be drawn towards the hate statements made (by Gujaratis) almost everyday.

“So much ho ha about my statement on the Marathi hating Gujjus but no one is focussing on the hate statements passed by them almost every day,” he tweeted.

However, senior Congress leader Manikrao Thakre said the party disapproves of such remarks.

“Congress disapproves such comments. I will speak to Nitesh, but this is not the party view,” Thakre told reporters when asked to comment on Rane’s remarks. 

Image: Nitesh Rane, Congress MLA and son of senior Congress leader Narayan Rane.