Aurangabad Police has registered a case against Raj Thackeray. FileMumbai:
Several mosques in and near Mumbai kept loudspeakers off during azaan this morning following a threat by Raj Thackeray, chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers wherever azaan is recited on them. Here are 10 developments in this big story:At Kalyan, most mosques kept loudspeakers off during the morning azaan. Police had held meetings with the trustees of the mosques who had said that they will keep loudspeakers off during the morning prayers as per a Supreme Court order.In a video shared from Panvel, an MNS worker said they were prepared to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers but did not do so after three mosques in the area kept loudspeakers off during the morning prayers.Taking no chances, the Maharashtra government has made extensive preparations to maintain law and order. Leaves of police personnel have been cancelled and forces deployed in sensitive locations.Aurangabad Police has registered a case against Mr Thackeray for allegedly delivering a provocative speech two days ago.Mumbai Police have issued a notice to the MNS chief under Section 149 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), invoked to prevent a cognizable offence.In a statement tweeted last evening, Mr Thackeray reiterated his plans to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers near mosques where loudspeakers have not been removed.”I appeal to all Hindus that tomorrow, the 4th of May, if you hear the loudspeaker blaring with azaan; in those places, play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers. That’s when they will realise the hindrance of these loudspeakers,” he said.Mr Thackeray has been asserting that his protest against loudspeakers is not on religious but on social grounds and that the recitations from mosques are leading to noise pollution.The face-off between Mr Thackeray’s party and the state government helmed by his cousin Uddhav Thackeray comes ahead of the civic elections in Maharashtra, in which the BJP is attempting to get the control of the Mumbai civic body.The ruling Shiv Sena has accused the MNS of being the “B Team” of the BJP, attempting to cut into the Sena votes with its aggressive stance on Hindutva.
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