Action against Narayanrao Rane has been taken with "revenge" tweeted Devendra Fadnavis.
The BJP distanced itself from Narayan Rane's controversial remarks about slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, but at the same time backed the Union Minister today. While party chief JP Nadda said the minister's arrest was a "violation of constitutional values", the state's leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis spoke of "Taliban-like governance".
Mr Rane sparked off a row during his address at the Jan Ashirwad Yatra, saying it was "shameful" that the Chief Minister does not know the year of India's independence. "Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap," he had said.
According him, the Chief Minster needed to clarify it with an aide during his address on Independence Day.
The Union minister was arrested within 24 hours -- the BJP said the police action took place as he was having a meal.
The BJP does not support Mr Rane's comments, but the "party stands behind him 100 per cent", Mr Fadnavis said. Alleging that the state police force was being used as a tool for "vendetta politics", the former Chief Minister said there should be law and order and "not Taliban-like governance".
Calling the state government's move "vendetta politics", BJP chief JP Nadda said, "These people are troubled by the immense support the BJP is getting in the Jan-Aashirvad Yatra".
"The arrest of Union Minister Narayan Rane ji by the Maharashtra government is a violation of constitutional values. We will neither be scared nor suppressed by such action... We will continue to fight democratically, the journey will continue," he added.
"The action taken against Union Minister Shri Narayanrao Rane has been done with revenge. I strongly condemn this repression of the police system. Sharjeel Osmani Mokat and Narayan Rane arrested! This is the new Hindutva and Such is the new Maharashtra !!!" Mr Fadnavis later said in a Marathi tweet.
Mr Rane, who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet in July as Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, is the first central minister to be arrested in 20 years.