Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray has demanded removal of loudspeakers from mosques. This stirred the whole Hanuman Chalisa controversy. On Thursday, he congratulated and thanked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for removing thousands of loudspeakers from religious places in Uttar Pradesh.
“Unfortunately in Maharashtra, we don’t have any yogis; what we have are ‘bhogis’ (hedonists). Here’s hoping and praying good sense prevails,” Raj Thackeray’s message read.
In last few days, Yogi led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh have removed nearly 11,000 loudspeakers from religious places. The volume of another 35,000 loudspeakers has been lowered to the permissible levels.
The first loudspeaker to be brought down was Mathura’s Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi. They decided not to broadcast its Mangalacharan Aarti through loudspeakers at Bhagwat Bhavan on the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi premises.
While addressing a rally earlier this month, MNS chief spoke on the loudspeaker at mosques issue. He is maintaining his stance that the loudspeaker issue is a social issue and not religious issue. Raj Thackeray said that if state government does not remove loudspeakers from the mosques in the state, his party workers will play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques. Warning of consequesnces he has given the state government time till May 3, to remove loudspeakers from mosques.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has refused to give importance to Raj Thackeray’s threat. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut dismissed Raj Thackeray’s comments by calling him ‘Maharashtra’s Owaisi’.
This Hanuman Chalisa row took a serious turn when MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana decided to recite Hanuman Chalisa Outside Matoshree – Uddhav Thackeray’s residence. The couple was arrested in connection with Hanuman Chalisa controversy. The plan was foiled by Shiv Sena workers who laid a siege to the Rana residence and later the Ranas were arrested.
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