Aurangabad Police registered a case against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday over his speech at a rally here on 1 May, even as Raj Thackeray on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to citizens to play the Hanuman Chalisa on 4 May (Wednesday) if they heard the loudspeakers playing the azaan. Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth said the entire force of the Maharashtra police is “ready” to tackle any deterioration of the law and order situation. Police registered the case after seeing the viral videos of his public rally. “Aurangabad Police Commissioner is capable of taking action against anyone. He is looking at the videos of Raj Thackeray’s rally and if he finds anything wrong in it then he will take action today itself,” said Maharashtra Director General of Police Rajnish Seth.
Heavy police deployment has been made outside Raj Thackeray’s residence. Amid the ongoing political row over the use of loudspeakers at mosques, Raj Thackeray had on Sunday said that if loudspeakers are not taken down then the Hanuman Chalisa would be played with double volume compared to Azaan from 4 May. “Today is the first day of Maharashtra (Maharashtra Day). I will not listen from the fourth day from now. Wherever we will see a loudspeaker, we will also chant Hanuman Chalisa in front of the loudspeaker in double volume,” Thackeray had said while addressing a gathering at Sanskrutik Mandal Maidan in Aurangabad. He also announced that he will hold more rallies in Marathwada, Vidarbha and other cities as well. In a long post on Twitter, shared in Marathi and English, Thackeray said, “I appeal to all Hindus that tomorrow, the 4th of May, if you hear the loudspeakers blaring the azaan; in those very places, play the Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers! That’s when they will realise, the hindrance of these loudspeakers!” His latest post on Twitter came hours after the Maharashtra Police registered an FIR against Thackeray over the ultimatum he issued days ago in Arungabad.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered the police not to wait for anyone’s permission to maintain law and order situation in the state. Thackeray held a meeting with Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Tuesday to review the law and order situation in the state considering the prevailing situation. Chief Minister ordered that police should take all measures to maintain law and order and not wait for anyone’s order. Thackeray further held a telephonic conversation with the Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth. Mumbai Police seized loudspeakers from the MNS office and detained the party’s Chandivali unit chief Mahendra Bhanushali and others on Tuesday. The loudspeakers row started when the MNS chief on 12 April, when gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government seeking the removal of loudspeakers from mosques within 3 May, failing which, he warned, MNS workers will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers.
Intelligence has received reports that people from other States might come to Maharashtra to disturb the law and order situation in the state, Maharashtra Home Department informed. Meanwhile, 803 of the 1,144 mosques in Mumbai have obtained police permission to use loudspeakers, an official said on Tuesday. This may the first time that more than 70% of mosques in the metropolis have obtained permission to use loudspeakers to relay azaan, the official added.
