Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said his demand to remove loudspeakers from mosques has not stemmed from his opposition to the offering of the prayers by Muslims. Neither does his party want any riots in Maharashtra. “But if you do it on loudspeaker, then we will also use loudspeakers for it. Muslims should understand that religion isn’t bigger than the law,” Raj Thackeray said, as quoted by news agency ANI. On his ultimatum to the Maharashtra government that loudspeakers of mosques will have to be taken down by May 2, Raj Thackeray said, “I will see what to do after May 3.”
From the Gudi Padwa rally in the state, Raj Thackeray gave a call against loudspeakers playing azaan and said his party will play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the state government does not remove these loudspeakers by May 3.
The Maharashtra government has taken a strong stand against Raj Thackeray’s ‘divisive’ call with Sanjay Raut comparing Raj Thackeray’s role in Maharashtra with that of Asaduddin Owaisi in Uttar Pradesh.”There were attempts to jeopardise peace in Maharashtra but people and police here are peaceful. Some people had mission to provoke riots in name of Ram and Hanuman through ‘new Owaisi’…’Hindu Owaisi’ of the state…We won’t let that happen,” Raut said on Sunday.After Sanjay Raut termed Raj Thackeray as Maharashtra’s Owaisi, posters threatening Sanjay Raut were put up in front of the Saamana office on Saturday. “Whom did you call Owaisi? Sanjay Raut, shut down your loudspeaker. Whole Maharashtra facing problem due to it, or else we will shut down your loudspeaker in MNS style,” the poster read.
