Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said the loudspeaker row in Maharashtra is over, and there that there is peace in the western state. He also called upon the central government for a nationwide policy on the use of loudspeakers at religious places, news agency ANI reported.
“There is peace in Maharashtra, some people were trying to spoil the situation in the state but they have been given a befitting reply,” he was quoted as saying in what looked like a veiled attack on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.
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Raut alleged attempts were being made to divide the “Hindu society”, adding that people of the community are also unhappy since temples have stopped using loudspeakers for ‘Aarti’ (prayers).
The Sena leader’s statement comes two days after he lashed out on Thackeray amid the row over use of loudspeakers at religious places. He said that politics is being everywhere about the loudspeaker usage, with “some old videos of Balasaheb’s views on loudspeakers in mosques being shared”.
“Why was this question never raised in 50 years when Vilasrao Deshmukh, Prithviraj Chavan and Devendra Fadnavis were chief ministers?” Raut asked on Thursday.
He further said that the MNS chief had no problem with loudspeakers then, but he has this issue now “because his brother (estranged cousin and Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray) is the chief minister of Maharashtra”.
Raj Thackeray first made the call on removing loudspeakers from mosques in his Gudi Padwa speech last month, saying if those are not removed by May 3, Hanuman Chalisa will be played on loudspeakers outside mosques from May 4 onwards. On May 1, he reiterated the demand at his Aurangabad mega rally for which a case was lodged against him and the organisers of the programme on Tuesday (May 3).
Despite the police action, the MNS chief, in a long post on Twitter on Tuesday, urged citizens of Maharashtra to play the Hanuman Chalisa the next day if they heard loudspeakers playing azaan.
On May 4, Pune Police detained some MNS workers after they performed Maha Aarti at some places. The party claimed some mosques cooperated and did not play the morning azaan on loudspeakers, but added its workers would keep a lookout for any breach following which the Hanuman Chalisa would be played on loudspeakers. Hindustan Times reported that MNS workers played the hymn from a residential building at Mumbai’s Charkop at 5am when the azaan was heard from a nearby mosque. Similar reports had emerged Washim and Nerul (Navi Mumbai).
Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray said on Wednesday that playing the Hanuman Chalisa is not a one-day affair and it will continue until the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra addresses the situation as per the Supreme Court’s order on loudspeaker usage.