Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday reiterated his warning against the use of loudspeakers in mosques. Thackeray said that Hanuman Chalisa will be played on loudspeakers in double the volume of Azan from May 4 if loudspeakers installed atop mosques are not taken down. The MNS chief made the statement while addressing a gathering at Sanskrutik Mandal Maidan in Aurangabad on the occasion of Maharashtra Day. Raj Thackeray stated, “Today is the first day of Maharashtra (Maharashtra Day). I won’t listen from the 4th day from now. Wherever we will see a loudspeaker, we will also chant Hanuman Chalisa in front of the loudspeaker in double volume.”
Thackeray further underlined that the issue of loudspeakers is not a religious issue but a national one. He said, “This is not a religious issue. It is a national issue but if you stop us, we will also take a stand. All the loudspeaker speaker is not under the law and it is illegal. The Supreme Court already said it was illegal, it was not a matter of Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) it was a country issue.”
Justifying his point that the loudspeaker is topic is not a religious issue, he said, “One journalist asked me why do you take a stand on loudspeakers today. I said that we chant Hanuman Chalisa and Muslims should listen. A Nashik journalist told me that he is a Muslim and that he also has a problem with loudspeakers. His children can’t sleep.”
The loudspeakers row started when the MNS chief on April 12 gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to put a stop to the use of loudspeakers in mosques.
