Nitesh Narayan Rane (born 23 June 1982) is an Indian politician and a member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the Kankavli vidhansabha constituency. He is the head of the non-governmental organisation "Swabhiman Sanghatana"[citation needed] and a son of former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane.[1]

Nitesh Narayan Rane
Rane at Baba Siddique's Iftar Party.
Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
19 October 2014
Preceded byPramod Jathar
ConstituencyKankavli
Personal details
Born (1982-06-23) 23 June 1982 (age 42)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
CitizenshipIndia
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party (2019-present)
Indian National Congress (until 2019)
Spouse
Rutuja Rane
(m. 2007)
RelationsNarayan Rane (father)
Nilesh Rane (brother)
Residence(s)Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
OccupationPolitician

Early life

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Nitesh Rane was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Neelam Rane and Narayan Rane, a senior leader from Maharashtra on 23 June 1982.[2][3] He is an MBA professional and studied in the United Kingdom along with his elder brother Nilesh. He returned to India to enter politics and help his father when his father decided to quit Shiv Sena in 2005 and join Congress.[1]

Career

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Swabhiman Sanghatana

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Rane started his career by founding Swabhiman Sanghatana which raises social issues in areas of youth unemployment, health services, basic amenities throughout Maharashtra, and mainly in Mumbai.[4] He was also the general secretary of Youth Congress, Mumbai but resigned from his post in December 2008 because of the conflict between he and other local Congress leaders.[1] At the onset of summer of 2010, the organisation launched a toll free helpline where citizens could register their complaints against the private water supply tankers. Rane stated that the private tankers charged exorbitant prices ranging from anything between 6 and 25 times the rate set by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.[5][6] He blamed the Shiv Sena-BJP administered BMC for their failure to curb "water-mafia".[7]

Politics

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He contested from Kankavli vidhansabha constituency in 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election and won by margin of over 25,000 votes.[8]

Other works

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In September 2012 he started an initiative called "Maharashtra Kalanidhi" (MKN) along with theatre personality Anant Panshikar in order to help Marathi theatre and to get audience to Marathi cinema.[9] The organisation helped director-producer Sanjay Jadhav when he faced financial setbacks in production of his film Duniyadari (2013).[10] He is involved in building a film city in Malvan along with Maharashtra Kalanidhi.[11]

In February 2012, he launched Sindhudurg Tour Guide, a training program with the aim to provide employment & self-employment opportunity to local youth in tourism industry in the Sindhudurg district.[12][13]

In February 2014 he also launched a unique mobile job providing initiative called "Naukri Express". A mobile vehicle which has mobile office with counters and interview booths, it will travel across Maharashtra advertising vacancies in local organisations with the aim to bring jobs at doorsteps.[14]

Controversies

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Late in 2009, he protested the release of the Marathi film Zenda as one character in it "Sada Malwankar" resembled his father Narayan Rane, who was the then Minister of Revenue for the state. The producer-director of the film Avdhoot Gupte had to re-shoot and re-dub few scenes and also change the character's name to "Sada Panvalkar" thus removing the connection of Rane family with their hometown Malvan.[15] In 2010, Chintu Shaikh, a small businessman who runs a medical store in Vikhroli, filed an F.I.R. against Rane under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for attempted murder. Shaikh claimed that Rane had fired two rounds at him. But the prima facie medical report called the injury to be sustained by some "sharp object" and not bullets.[16] With further investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) gave clean chit to Rane in 2012. The case was transferred to CBI from police when Shaikh filed a petition in Bombay High Court claiming that police were wrongfully protecting Rane.[17]

In March 2010, he launched water mafia helpline to tackle water mafia in Mumbai. He also warned the tanker association to lower their prices, and claimed that the BMC has done nothing to curb the city's water mafia.[18]

In 2011, Rane claimed that the water mafia sells water to poor people at high rates and Sena-BJP are running the water mafia. In a move against water mafia his organisation team along with him destroyed an illegal pipeline that water mafia has built in Thane from which 10 lakh litres of water was being stolen every day.[19]

In 2012, Rane claimed that the Election Commission of India should close the stall of Vada pav run by Shiv Sena, just in the manner it had ordered covering of statues of Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. He deemed these stalls as "promotional activity" of Shiv Sena in the light of upcoming elections of BMC.[20] Earlier in 2011 BMC had threatened to demolish illegal stalls, including those set by Swabhiman Sanghatana. BMC had then removed Shiv Sena's stalls also after Rane warned BMC for partial behaviour.[21]

In 2012, he was warned by BMC for displaying huge hoardings and banners on the occasion of his birthday by his followers. In response he stated that the banners were already removed by them and that BMC was targeting Nitesh Rane while turning a blind eye on banners of Shiv Sena.[2]

On 3 December 2013, he was detained by police for allegedly damaging toll booth and assaulting workers at a toll plaza in Goa.[22]

In 2013-14, Rane was in news for his tweets against Narendra Modi and Gujarati people inhabiting Mumbai,[23][24] demanding they leave Mumbai[25] and stated to take action against them.[26][27][28][29][30]

In 2017, Rane was arrested for assaulting a government official by throwing fish at him.[31]

In July 2019, Rane was arrested for assaulting a government deputy engineer.[32]

In 2021 December he came into limelight in a controversy where he derided Aditya Thakrey with the sound of cat while protesting outside Legislative Assembly.[33]

Personal life

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Nitesh Rane married Rutuja Shinde on 28 November 2010. The wedding ceremony took place at the Hotel Grand Hyatt, Mumbai and the reception was held at Royal Western India Turf Club.[34][35][36]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Jore, Dharmendra (25 September 2010). "Nitesh Rane: His father's son". Mumbai: Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 28 November 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b Devasia, Sanjeev (20 July 2012). "Birthday hoardings get Nitesh Rane in trouble with BMC". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Target youth: Nitesh Rane unveils agenda". Indian Express. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  4. ^ Iyer, Kavitha (9 February 2012). "If Raj Thackeray is kingmaker, I will be mini-kingmaker: Nitesh Rane". Indian Express. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Nitesh Rane launches toll-free number to fight Mumbai's water mafia". DNA. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Cut water price or face the music, Nitesh Rane tells private tankers". Indian Express. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Nitesh Rane sets up water Helpline, claims BMC'S is a failure". Hindustan Times. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Maharashtra Result". Financialexpress. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  9. ^ "Rane- Panshikar's 'Maharashtra Kalanidhi' aims to support Marathi Theatre..." Mumbai Theatre Guide. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Nitesh Rane bails out Marathi filmmaker". Money Control. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Konkan to get a film city". Times Of India. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  12. ^ "Sindhudurg Darshan in rains through a 'Sindhudurg Guide' by Nitesh Rane". apnnews.com. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  13. ^ "The Sindhudurg Guide launches 4 products and services for travellers on World Tourism Day". travelbizmonitor.com. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Nitesh Rane's hiring booth-on-wheels for Maharashtra". India Today. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  15. ^ "Zenda, Abohomann to release on January 22". Screen India. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  16. ^ Singh, Vijay V. (25 September 2010). "Cops pick holes in Nitesh Rane 'shooting' case". The Times of India. Mumbai. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  17. ^ "CBI gives clean chit to Rane Junior in shooting case". The Times of India. Mumbai. 29 March 2012. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  18. ^ "Nitesh Rane sets up water Helpline, claims BMC'S is a failure". Hindustan Times. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  19. ^ "MiD DAY's water mafia expose: Nitesh Rane gets into the act". Mid-Day. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  20. ^ "Cover all Sena vada pav stalls also: Nitesh Rane". Indian Express. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  21. ^ "Vada pav wars: BMC removes Shiv Sena's stalls after Nitesh Rane's warning". DNA. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  22. ^ "Narayan Rane's son Nitesh Rane detained for toll booth damage". Dnaindia. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  23. ^ "Now, Nitesh Rane plays Marathi manoos card, targets Gujaratis in Mumbai who praise Narendra Modi - Mumbai - DNA". Dnaindia.com. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  24. ^ "Gujaratis who praise Narendra Modi should leave Mumbai: Nitesh Rane". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  25. ^ "Gujaratis who praise Narendra Modi should leave city: Nitesh Rane". Mumbai Mirror. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  26. ^ "'Has Congress' Nitesh Rane lost it? Makes xenophobic comments on Twitter against Gujarati community in Mumbai to target Narendra Modi". DNA India. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  27. ^ "Nitesh Rane wants Mumbai cleaned of 'Gujjus'". India Today. 7 November 2014.
  28. ^ "Congress leader Nitesh Rane wants Mumbai 'cleaned of Gujaratis', draws criticism | India News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  29. ^ "Want to first clean Mumbai off Gujaratis: Nitesh Rane | Mumbai News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  30. ^ Deshpande, Alok (6 November 2014). "Congress MLA's tweet against Gujaratis triggers controversy". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  31. ^ PTI (12 July 2017). "Maharashtra Congress MLA Nitesh Rane arrested for throwing fish at government officer". The Financial Express. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  32. ^ "Mud attack: Congress MLA Nitesh Rane arrested for assaulting government official | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  33. ^ "Nitesh Rane mocks Aaditya Thackeray, makes 'meow' sounds as Shiv Sena leader enters Maha Assembly - VIDEO".
  34. ^ Shinde, Raju (29 November 2010). "Nitesh Rane's glowing bride". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  35. ^ Singh, Varun; Seth, Urvashi; Khan, Shadab (28 November 2010). "700 chefs, 20,000 invitees for big fat Rane wedding". Mid-Day. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  36. ^ "Wedding crashers trash Nitesh Rane's reception". Mid-Day. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
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