Maharashtra: Ravi Rana said he was not even in Amravati during the incident. (File)
Independent MLA from Amravati Ravi Rana on Monday alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil pressurized the police to file a false case against him of throwing ink on Amravati Municipal Commissioner.
"I was not even present in Amravati during a program where some workers threw ink on the face of Amravati Municipal Commissioner for allegedly removing Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue," said Mr Rana during the Question-Answer session in Maharashtra Assembly.
Mr Rana, who was supported by BJP MLAs, created a ruckus in the assembly and said, "The Chief Minister and Home Minister pressurized the Amravati Commissioner of Police to file a case against me."
"At midnight around 150 police officials reached my residence and searched my home that day. I want justice," he said.
Rejecting the allegations, Mr Patil said, "Rana claims to be in Delhi when the incident happened, we will look into it. However, neither did I nor the Chief Minister instruct or pressurize anyone."
"It is true that the Shivaji Maharaj statue was placed without the permission of the local authorities in Amravati. So, the Municipal commissioner took the decision to remove the statute. Later, ink was thrown on his face for removing the statute," he said.
Later, the names of the Home Minister and the Chief Minister were removed from the records of the Assembly following a request by Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav who said that "it is not right to make allegations against the Chief Minister or Home Minister when nothing of this sort has been proved."