By SATINDER BAINS
CHANDIGARH: The controversy over reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' erupted in Maharashtra involving Amaravati MP Navneet Rana has Punjab connection. Navneet Kaur Rana is daughter of a Sikh Harbhajan Singh who hailed from Punjab.
Navneet Rana, at center of controversy is not a Hindu by birth. She belongs to Sikh family. She was born and brought up in a village Khokhar in Ropar (now Rupnagar) district of Punjab. She is a Lubana Sikh whose father migrated to Mumbai while she was 10 years old.
A former Tejgu film actress 35 year old Navneet Rana was an ambitious person. She married Ravi Rana, a businessman 0f Amravati. She was elected MP from Amaravati from a reserve seat in 2019 and a controversy over her Scheduled caste certificate made the newspaper headlines in the recent past. She had obtained a SC certificate from Punjab allegedly by misrepresenting the facts since Lubana caste is not in SC category in Punjab and Maharashtra. She had submitted a "fake" school leaving certificate to obtain the SC certificate claiming that she belongs to 'Chamar' caste.
A Ropar advocate Lakhbir Singh who is also secretary of Kanshi Ram Charitable Foundation in his complaint submitted to SSP Rupnagar has alleged that Navneet Kaur belonged to Lubana community which falls under backward classes. Demanding to register a case under SC and ST act besides IPC sections, Lakhbir Singh said that school leaving certificate issued by principal of Khalsa Senior Secondary School Chamkaur Sahib where she studied has mentioned the caste of her father Harbhajan Singh son of Ram Singh as Lubana.
Another complaint in this regard made by Lok Sabha MP Anandrao Vithaoha Adsul to the Deputy Commissioner Ropar was investigated and an inquiry was conducted by the SDM Chamkaur Sahib. The inquiry found that no SC certificate was issued by SDM office to Ram Singh, father of Harbhajan Singh resident of village Khokhar. The signatures on the certificate do not match with the officer authorised to issue SC certificate during the period 19.6.82 to 9.6.1983 during which period the certificate was issued.
On June 8, 2021, the Mumbai High Court had fined her Rs.2 lakh for submitting a false caste certificate on a petition filed by a local politician Raju Mnakan who challenged her election.
It is learnt that in 2019 she had demanded a party ticket from BJP but the party denied the ticket. She then contested as an independent and defeated the BJP candidate.
Of late, she is understood to have been won over by BJP which prompted her to throw a challenge to Shiv Sena leader and Chief Minister Udhaav Thakrey. She insisted on reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' in front of the residence of Thakrey. Her decision seems to be influenced by political considerations. Her parental family still practices Sikh rituals.
Ravi Rana, husband of Navneet Rana has stated that Shiv Sena was not allowing them to recite 'Hanuman Chalisa' to appease Congress party which is in alliance with them in Maharashtra. He accused Shiv Sena of cheating BJP. His statement is a clear indication of his inclination towards BJP. BJP might project Navneet Rana as party leader in next assembly elections in Maharashtra, the political observers said.