NCP workers on Friday held a protest here and courted arrest over BJP leader Nilesh Rane's tweet, in which he termed Sharad Pawar as a "reincarnation" of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said hundreds of party workers courted arrest against Rane's "defamatory" tweet against the party chief.

In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Nilesh Rane, former MP and elder son of Union minister Narayan Rane, said, "Pawar saheb gets worried for the Muslim community when elections are near. Sometimes it seems that Sharad Pawar is the reincarnation of Aurangzeb." The NCP workers gathered at Azad Maidan to condemn Rane's tweet. However, the police took them to the Yellow Gate police station from the protest site, Tapase said in a statement.

"Our workers are emotional about (Pawar) saheb and we will come out on the streets to protect his dignity," he said.

"We knew that the state government will not take any action against Nilesh Rane as they have no morality left. Therefore, we courted arrest by protesting against him," the NCP functionary said.

The 'Mumbai Jail Bharo Andolan' was organised by the NCP's Mumbai unit working president Narendra Rane. Party spokesperson Clyde Crasto and others were arrested by the police, the statement added.

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