Rana stoking communal hatred: Wadettiwar; ex-Amravati MP says Cong needs introspection

Nagpur/Amravati: Just days after State Minority Commission chief Pyare Khan requested PM Narendra Modi to act against Amravati's former MP Navneet Rana over alleged communal rabble-rousing in the Paratwada sex scandal, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Sunday said Rana is stoking communal hatred to stay relevant. Rana, in turn, said she does not give much importance to "irrelevant" people, sparking a fresh war-of-words.Speaking with reporters in Nagpur, Wadettiwar compared Rana to a poisonous creeper "whose statements are fuelling religious tensions". "Rana is doing all this to remain in headlines," said Wadettiwar, alluding to the fact that since her defeat in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Rana has not been politically rehabilitated.Earlier, Rana and her husband Ravi, MLA of Badnera, had said that she may be sent to Rajya Sabha. Later, even CM Devendra Fadnavis during a public speech in Amravati district said that Rana won't remain an "ex-MP" for long, hinting that a Rajya Sabha nomination awaits her.But with the latest Rajya Sabha entrant from Vidarbha being Mayatai Ivnate, Rana's chances are dimming.Responding to Wadettiwar's remarks, Rana said, "I don't need to respond to such petty people, but why did Wadettiwar not say anything when the TCS case in Nashik came to light?" Rana alleged that the Congress had "nurtured snakes" and claimed that those now criticising her were products of the same political culture.Rana said that during Congress rule, such elements were protected and cases were suppressed, adding that the current dispensation was exposing them. Rana said PM Modi and CM Fadnavis would act firmly against such elements. "We will not spare them. But these petty people speaking now should first look inside their own homes," Rana said.Linking the verbal attack on her to the recent political flashpoint over the Women's Reservation Bill, Rana said Congress had exposed its mindset by opposing the legislation. "The entire country and the world saw how much respect they have for women," Rana said and added that those questioning others on women's issues should first introspect.Wadettiwar, meanwhile, earlier questioned Rana's remarks in the Paratwada case, asking on what basis she claimed that no burqa-clad women were involved. He said despite electoral defeat, Rana continued to make provocative statements.The Bramhapuri MLA also targeted Rana over her statements on religion, alleging that Rana remained silent on certain cases but reacted strongly when specific communities were involved. "Rana cannot recite two lines of the Hanuman Chalisa, yet she talks about Hinduism," he said.