Mumbai, Mar 13 (PTI) Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday slammed Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane over his recent controversial comments and said he would complain to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis against the BJP leader.

The opposition has attacked Rane over his claim that there were no Muslims in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army and his announcement about the launch of ‘Malhar Certification', a platform aimed at certifying ‘jhatka' mutton shops.

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‘Jhatka' meat is the flesh of animals slaughtered by a single blow of the blade.

“He was not sworn in as a minister to decide whether halal is acceptable or not. What right does he have to speak against any religion? We will raise this issue with the chief minister. Should such a minister remain in the cabinet? Does the CM support his statements,” asked Wadettiwar.

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The people of Maharashtra deserve an answer, he said.

Wadettiwar accused Rane, the state minister of fisheries and ports development, of using divisive rhetoric for political gains.

“It seems Rane's only agenda is to run a ‘Ram Bharose Hindu Hotel'. Whether he works for development or not doesn't matter. The only discussion is about mosques and temples, banning halal, and dictating what people should eat. What does he have to do with all that,” asked the Congress leader.

Urging Rane to clarify his stance, Wadettiwar also sought to know whether the country operates as per the Constitution or Manusmriti (ancient Sanskrit text).

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)