Mumbai- Maharashtra Ports and Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane delivered a fiery speech at the Sakal Hindu Samaj rally, emphasizing the state government's commitment to what he termed as protecting Hindu interests. Speaking forcefully, Rane warned against what he described as "love jihad, land jihad, and cow slaughter," suggesting the government would take stringent action against those engaging in these activities. He hinted at introducing strict legislation to prevent forced religious conversions and threatened legal consequences for those he accused of targeting Hindu society.

Rane's rhetoric was particularly pointed, stating that the current government would not hesitate to take action against those he referred to as "bearded people" attempting to convert or harm members of the Hindu community. "We are in the government," he declared, promising to implement the "strictest law against conversion" in the state. His comments drew a sharp contrast with the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which he criticized for being overly lenient. "In our Hindu Rashtra, the interests of Hindus will be taken care of first," Rane emphatically stated.

The minister's inflammatory remarks did not go unchallenged. Vijay Wadettiwar, a senior Congress legislator and former Leader of Opposition, condemned Rane's statement as an attempt to create division between communities. Wadettiwar argued that such baseless statements that speak against religions and challenge constitutional principles should disqualify a person from holding a constitutional post. Additionally, Rane continued his controversial commentary by questioning the authenticity of an attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and making provocative statements about the treatment of Hindu versus Muslim actors in the entertainment industry.