Amid the controversy over the use of loudspeakers, three major players in Maharashtra politics – Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) – are squabbling to get a piece of Hindutva pie.
Sena on Wednesday reacted sharply to the use of a Bal Thackeray video on ‘removal of loudspeakers from mosques’ by MNS chief Raj Thackeray, while BJP tried to score over MNS by saying that the loudspeaker was not the real issue, but a ban on some ‘radical’ Muslim organisations.
In an attempt to project himself as the heir to Bal Thackeray’s ideology and embarrass Sena, Raj Thackeray tweeted a video clip of his rally where he is heard saying that Sena, when it came to power in the state, would not rest until it was successful in preventing people from offering namaz on roads. The late Sena founder also said, “Religion must be such that it should not come in the way of the nation’s progress, people must not be inconvenienced by it. If my Hindu religion is causing inconvenience to anybody, they should come to me, and we will resolve it… Loudspeakers will come down.”
This invited a sharp response from Sena with its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut saying those who left Bal Thackeray must not teach Hindutva to Sena. “Those who left Balasaheb and his teachings, and those who have become the concubine of BJP, which backstabbed Sena, must not teach us Hindutva. They must do their politics but they don’t have the right to call others fake. Like there are fake liberals, there are fake Hindutvawadis as well.”
The Sena chief spokesperson further said, “Uddhav Thackeray is the son of Balasaheb Thackeray. So, he doesn’t need guidance from anyone on what to do about issues like offering of namaz on roads and loudspeakers on mosques.”
Later in the day, Sena also released video clips of Bal Thackeray’s speeches where he is heard mocking Raj for imitating him. “I am told somebody is speaking in my style… style is alright but do you have any ideology? Simply yelling Marathi Marathi will not help. Before you all were born, I had picked the issue in Maharashtra,” he said in one clip. In another clip, the Sena patriarch mocked Raj without naming him, saying he took step to quit the party because he wanted leadership.
Raut said the late Sena supremo had taken a stance on loudspeakers and namaz following which the supreme court had to intervene. “Then the SC ruling came for the entire country to follow. If someone doesn’t know this, then they must study Balasaheb and if needed, we can send them more videos.”
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had abandoned Hindutva and hence, the video was a reminder to him.
“Balasaheb had said that loudspeakers would not be there once his party came to power, but the Sena(-led) government today is going back on it. Raj Saheb is taking the teachings and ideology of Balasaheb forward,” he said.
BJP, in a surprise change of stance, said the loudspeakers were not the real problem. Party legislator Nitesh Rane said organisations like Raza Academy, which spread “poison”, were the root cause of the problem and everyone should come together to ban such outfits.
In a series of tweets, tagging the official handle of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Rane said, “Loudspeakers r not the real problem. The real problem r terrorist organizations like Raza academy n PFI who spread poison.. a collective fight against them is the need of the hour. Every1 shud come together 2 ensure they r BANNED. Then there will be PEACE! (sic)”
Rane added, “A real Muslim will never go against his state or country! They love our soil as much as the Hindus and others. It’s organisations like Raza academy n PFI who use the community to spread anger n hate. Amravati n Nanded riots r best example of this. It’s time to finish them!”
Raut accused BJP of using MNS to rake the loudspeaker issue to divide the Hindus. “BJP has strangled Hindutva in Maharashtra by using MNS. It tried to raise the issue of loudspeakers in places of worship through MNS. BJP’s agenda is to divide the Hindus, and it has sacrificed Raj Thackeray in this controversy. The things BJP can’t do itself, gets it done through smaller parties. It had already used MNS to divide the Marathis, but it did not succeed.”
Referring to Raj Thackeray’s decision on Wednesday to go ahead with the agitation against loudspeakers, the Sena leader said the issue had led to many Hindus being deprived of morning aartis at several locations in the state. “Thousands gather at prominent places of worship, including Shirdi and Trimbakeshwar, for the morning aarti. Now, the issue around loudspeakers has spoiled that chance. BJP and its concubine [MNS] brought up the loudspeaker in mosques but they strangulated Hindutva in the process. Even devotees at temples have complained about it. Today is a black day for Hindutva.”
Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, “The government is nabbing pro-Hindu people [referring to some MNS workers being detained]. Sanjay Raut, a Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson but in Sena, is making statements to create a religious rift among people. There is no riot-like situation anywhere in the state. We suspect the government is trying to create riots by such statements [from party leaders].”
In an attack on BJP, Raut said prime minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah must take note of the developments in Maharashtra as they could spread unrest in the country. He also equated the supreme court orders on loudspeakers to the proposed uniform civil code, saying the law was above religion.
