Loudspeakers issue not religious but social, says Raj Thackeray

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, May 4

Assertingthat the issue related to loudspeakers outside places of worship is not religious but social, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday said the volume of loudspeakers should be as per the guidelines of the SupremeCourt.

“It is not only about mosques. There are several temples where illegal loudspeakers are running. I have already made it clear that it (illegal loudspeakers) is not a religious issue but a social one,” the MNS chief said.

Targeting the Udhav Thackeray government, Raj Thackeray said: “We want peace in the state. But what action are you (government/police) taking against the 135 mosques that violated the Supreme Court guidelines today. You (police) are taking action only against our workers,” he said.

Amid accusations and questions by the Aghadi government as to why he was not raising important issues related to fuel and price rise,

Raj Thackeray said all illegal loudspeakers should be removed from mosques.

“Until they are removed, we will continue our agitation,” he said.

“We will continue to play Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques at the time of ‘Azaan’ until all illegal loudspeakers are removed,” he added.

Heavy security was deployed at several places in Mumbai and adjoining cities on Wednesday, a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray urged people to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers wherever they hear loudspeakers ‘blaring azaan’.