Union Minister Narayan Rane Arrested for 'Slap' Remark Against Uddhav Thackeray

Union Minister Narayan Rane was arrested on Tuesday, 24 August, by the Ratnagiri Police and taken into custody from Sangameshwar over his remarks about giving 'a tight slap' to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who, Rane had claimed, was ignorant of the year of India's Independence.

This is reportedly the first time in Maharashtra that a serving Union minister has been arrested and comes around 20 years after Union cabinet ministers, the late Murasoli Maran and TR Baalu, both in the government of the late Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, were arrested by the Chennai Police in June 2001.

The BJP has alleged that Rane was eating when he was arrested. The party has released a video which shows Rane, holding a plate which shows his lunch half-eaten, as his supporters try to prevent the police from arresting him.

After his arrest by the Sangameshwar Police, Rane was handed over to Mahad Police