'Condescending' treatment meted out to Marathis outside state, says Nitesh Rane

MUMBAI: Seeking to take up the cause of Marathi people, Congress leader Nitesh Rane today met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to protest against the "condescending" treatment allegedly being meted out to Maharashtrians living outside the state.

Rane also threatened to go the "destructive way", if he does not receive a proper response from Fadnavis.

" Shashikant Phadtare, who was staying and working in Godhra for the last 4-5 years has been thrown out of Gujarat. He got into a scuffle with local residents on a parking issue who took him to the police. The police, instead of solving the minor problem, joined hands with the locals and asked him to return to Maharashtra," Rane told reporters here.

"There are many Gujaratis living in Maharashtra and vice versa. If their people are safe here, why are our people not safe there?.. Fadnavis has assured me of a reply once he speaks to the Gujarat CM," he said.

Rane, an MLA from Kankavli, said that he will also be meeting Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel once she returns from her China trip on May 19.

He alleged that political mileage was derived from his Twitter posts, when he had tried to speak for the cause of Marathi people earlier.

"When I posted comments on Twitter, I was criticised and cases were lodged against me. Now why is nobody coming forward for the cause of Marathi man," he asked.

"If Fadnavis does not give me a proper reply and if this condescending attitude continues, I will not hesitate in taking a destructive route for the people of my state. Either he gives me a proper reply or I know how to get justice for my people," he warned.

Rane, son of senior Congress leader Narayan Rane, came under criticism from across the political spectrum recently when he had targeted Gujarati community residing in Mumbai.