Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) head Raj Thackeray reiterated his position on loudspeakers on Sunday, saying that unless the state government removes the equipment from outside mosques, ‘Hanuman Chalisa will be played at a louder volume (than azaan) in front of the mosques’.
He told a throng of supporters at the Marathwada Samajik Mandal venue in Aurangabad not to worry about anything and to assist him to remove the loudspeakers from mosques. He further stated that additional rallies on the subject will be organised in Marathwada and Vidarbha in the near future.
‘If you are going to do nuisance by playing azaan on loudspeakers from mosques, we will recite and play Hanuman Chalisa outside that mosque loudly. I don’t want to cause riots in Maharashtra. Muslims too need to understand that very well. Earlier also I had said that loudspeaker is not a religious issue but a social issue. If you are giving a religious colour to the loudspeaker topic, then we will have to answer with religion’, he said.
He questioned why, if loudspeakers can be removed in Uttar Pradesh, they couldn’t be removed in Maharashtra. ‘The Supreme Court has said that loudspeakers cannot be installed or played without permission from local police. How many mosques have permission? None’, he said while stating that all the loudspeakers are illegal.
According to Thackeray, loudspeakers should be removed from all parts of the country and the law should apply to all religions. ‘Why should only we suffer…They can pray on roads. Who gave you the permission?’ he added.
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The MNS chief also reminded the state administration of his May 3 ‘deadline’ for the removal of loudspeakers. ‘Today is May 1 and Eid is on May 3. I don’t want issues during their festival. But from 4th, we will not listen. I have requested all my Maharashtra Sainiks to play Hanuman Chalisa loudly in front of all the places where loudspeakers are played. If you can’t understand even after requesting, then we have no other option left. Loudspeakers are not allowed in your religion’, he said.
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