Maharashtra: At a Sambhaji Jayanti event organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj in Mumbai’s Andheri East on May 14, Maharashtra Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane called the Muslim community “green snakes” and “jihadis” and dismissed communal brotherhood.
In a fierce speech filled with hate, he said, “The interests of Hindus come first and foremost. There is no bhaichaara (brotherhood) and sarv dharam sambhav (equal respect for all religions). Whoever believes in this word should go to Pakistan. There is no need to live here.”
As chants of Jai Shri Ram echoed in the air, he continued, “This is Mahadev’s land. Only ‘I Love Mahadev’ will continue, not ‘I Love Muhammad,'” referring to last year’s nationwide protests by Muslims.
The ‘I Love Muhammad‘ protests originated from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh during Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (the Prophet’s birthday) celebrations. Hindutva groups as well as the local police objected to a banner that read ‘I Love Muhammad,’ labelling it as new tradition. By late 2025, over 4,500 people had been booked and hundreds arrested in various states for participating in these “unauthorised” rallies.
Throwing his weight as a minister, Rane assured the crowd that there is no need to worry. “These green snakes will keep lingering around us Hindus, but we should not be scared,” he said, again referring to the snakes to Muslims.
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