Navneet Rana and Ravi Rana (File photo) PTI
Maharashtra News: A statement by Ravi Rana, an ally of the ruling NDA alliance in Maharashtra and an independent MLA from Badnera, is going viral. Rana said during a meeting that if women do not vote for him in the upcoming assembly elections, he will withdraw the money received from them under the ‘Girl Sister’ scheme. At the same time, the Congress and the Rashtriya Democratic Party (SP) have criticized the government over the statement, calling it politically motivated.
Following criticism from opposition forces, Rana claimed that he had made the remark in jest. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday that a gift given by a brother to his sisters can never be taken back. Under the Eknath Shinde government’s flagship ‘Mukhyamantri Mari Ladki Behan Yojana’, eligible women in the state will be given Rs 1,500 per month. Rana said this while addressing a public event in Amaravati on Monday.
What did Ravi Rana say in the meeting?
The MLA from Badnera said, ‘After the elections, I will demand to increase this amount from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 (per month). I am your brother… but if you don’t give your blessings I will withdraw Rs 1,500 from your bank account. Meanwhile, Ravi Rana was also present on the stage along with his wife and former MP Navneet Rana. Navneet Rana had to face defeat from Amaravati parliamentary constituency in the general elections held this year. This time she was contesting as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate.
While addressing a program in Jalgaon, Fadnavis accused the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government of neglecting women’s empowerment. He said, “The gift of brothers to their sisters can never be taken back. Critics of the scheme have done nothing for women while in power. What does it matter to our sisters if we take some of the burden off their lives?
Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar responded
Responding to criticism from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), BJP leader Fadnavis said, “Rs 1,500 cannot buy a sister’s love.” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar while addressing a program emphasized on developmental governance. Meanwhile, Ajith said, “If you want all development related work to continue then vote in our favour.”
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CM Shinde said that the Girl Sister Scheme has been carefully and planned. He demanded that critics who called the scheme “begging and bribery” should be taught a lesson. He said that it was launched after eight to ten months of planning and preparations.
Amid criticism, Ravi Rana gave a clarification
NCP (Sharad Chandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule challenged Rana to follow through on his threat to withdraw the money. Sule said if women are threatened like this… do it and then see what they do.
Amid criticism, Ravi Rana defended his remarks on Tuesday, claiming, ‘What I said was meant as a joke. When I said this, the women started laughing. The opposition leaders created an unnecessary ruckus about this.
