Maharashtra Congress MLA Nitesh Rane held for muck attack

Mumbai: Congress MLA Nitesh Rane, son of former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane, again courted controversy on Thursday as he heckled a government engineer and threw muck on him while protesting against potholes on a bridge near Kankavli in Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra.

The incident was caught on camera and the video, which went viral, shows Nitesh and his supporters dumping buckets of muck on PWD (Public Works Department) engineer Prakash Shedekar at a bridge near the Mumbai-Goa highway when they were inspecting the pothole-ridden highway.  The engineer was later tied to the bridge over the river.

After the video went viral, Nitesh was trolled from all quarters. Police registered an FIR against Nitesh and his supporters. The Congress MLA was arrested along with two others. The incident took place on Thursday morning when Nitesh along with his supporters was inspecting potholes on a stretch of the Mumbai-Goa highway.

Holding Mr Shedekar responsible for the poor condition of the road, Nitesh started scolding him. “People are suffering daily... Now, you also experience it. Shall I show you how we get dirty in the muck?” Nitesh said and asked his supporters to throw mud at Mr Shendekar. He allegedly manhandled the engineer.

As the incident evoked criticism, his father Narayan Rane offered an apology.