MNS chief dares mosques to use loudspeakers, tweets old video of Bal Thackeray

Stepping up his attack on the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday tweeted an old video of late Sena founder Bal Thackeray in which the latter was seen saying the day his party comes to power, the praying of namaz on roads will be stopped and loudspeakers from mosques will be removed.

Raj Thackeray had on Tuesday urged people to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers on Wednesday wherever they hear loudspeakers “blaring azaan” (Islamic prayer call).

In an open letter, the MNS leader had asked people to lodge complaint with police by dialling 100 if they are disturbed by the sound of azaan.

In the 36-second video tweeted on Wednesday by the MNS chief, Bal Thackeray was seen draped in a saffron shawl with the Shiv Sena symbol in the background.

The Sena supremo was seen in the video saying, “The day my government comes to power, praying of namaz will be stopped because religion should be such that it doesn’t create an impediment in national development.”

“If our Hindu religion is creating an impediment then tell me, I will take care of it…Loudspeakers will be removed from masjids,” Bal Thackeray said in the old clip.

The Sena founder died in November 2012.

His son Uddhav Thackeray currently heads the three-party Maharashtra government, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

The video clip comes after MNS workers played Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers near some mosques on Wednesday to protest the use of loudspeakers during azaan, following instructions from Raj Thackeray.

On Wednesday, around 250 MNS workers were detained across the state as they waited to follow out the orders of their leader. This includes several MNS workers who had assembled outside the gate of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. At least eight MNS workers have been detained in Pune, police said.

Stating that his call was not only applicable to “illegal loudspeakers” that are in use in mosques, but also in temples, the MNS chief said that his party will not relent until mosques don’t follow guidelines.

“If mosques don’t follow guidelines, then Hanuman Chalisa will be played at double volume. Students and ill people suffer because of loudspeakers. Is your religion bigger than people?” he said.