Mostly-silent loudspeakers & police keep Maha peaceful

MNS Chief Says Protest Against Azaan On Loudspeakers To Continue

- Maharashtra state remained largely peaceful on Wednesday amid MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s call to play the Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the azaan was played on loudspeakers.

Stating that theirs was not a one-day protest, Thackeray said the Hanuman Chalisa will be played on loudspeakers till the ones that play the azaan are removed from mosques.

Preventive action by Maharashtra Police, including the detention of key MNS functionaries across the state, ensured there were no law and order issues, barring a few incidents of a skirmish between party workers and the police.

At a press conference in the city, Thackeray said this was not a religious issue but a social one. He though told media persons if the playing of the azaan on loudspeakers was given a religious or communal turn, he too would not hold back from giving the issue of playing the Hanuman Chalisa a similar turn. “If they play the azaan five times a day, then our people will play Hanuman Chalisa at that time on loudspeakers at double the decibel level,” he said.