Mumbai: Maharashtra police has launched a statewide crackdown and detained around 2,300 Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers as preventive action and 7,000 persons across the state were served notices under Section 149 of the CrPc to prevent them from creating law and order issues. Additionally, the police has also arrested 56 people in eight separate cases registered at different places in the state. The police also booked 600 people under Sections 68 and 69 of the Maharashtra Police Act. The actions have been taken in the last two days between May 3 and May 4 afternoon.
A senior police officer said that detained MNS activists tried to put loudspeakers outside mosques to chant Hanuman Chalisa while at other places it was preventive detention.
The police received over 2,000 applications from mosques seeking permission for use of loudspeakers at Masjids. The police granted permits to 1,500 mosques, while 1,300 temples that applied for the loudspeaker permission have been granted the same, a senior IPS officer has said.
“Loudspeakers were not used for morning Azaan at most places in several districts like Parbhani, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Jalna, Nanded, Nandurbar, Shirdi, Shrirampur. While at several places in Nashik, Ahmadnagar, Jalgaon and Malegaon, loudspeakers were used within permissible noise limits,” the officer added.
Recently, the Mumbai police surveyed mosques across the city and found that 72% of mosques had stopped using loudspeakers for morning prayers (Azaan) and diligently followed the noise pollution rules.
As per the noise pollution rules, the permissible noise level for residential zones is 55 decibels, 65 decibels for commercial zones and for industrial zones it stands at 75 decibels.
The director-general of police Rajnish Seth on Tuesday said that the police is well prepared and ready to deal with any kind of law and order situation following the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s May 4 ultimatum.
Thackeray had warned that they will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers outside mosques from May 4 if they are not removed from mosques.
Commenting on Thackeray’s speech Seth said lawful action will be taken.
The state home minister had visited the DG office and held a meeting with top cops to review security arrangements in the state.
The police department has also cancelled all leaves of its personnel. Preventive action had already been taken against 15,000 criminals and anti-social elements on Tuesday to ensure they do not create any law-and-order problems.
“87 companies of SRPF and more than 30,000 home guards have been deployed across the state. Strict action will be taken against those disrupting public tranquillity,” Seth said.