Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Minister Dilip Walse Patil will meet today to discuss the law and order situation in the state.
According to the Maharashtra Home Department the use of loudspeakers at religious sites in the state to be allowed only with due permission.
Meanwhile, all religious places have been directed to take permission for use of loudspeakers by 3 May. After May 3, if anyone is found violating the order then legal action to be taken against the violators said Deepak Pandey, Nashik Police Commissioner.
"Permission has to be taken for playing Hanuman Chalisa or Bhajan. It will not be allowed within 15 minutes before and after the Azan. It will not be allowed within 100 metres of the mosque. The aim of this order is to maintain law and order," said Deepak Pandey, Nashik CP according to news agency ANI.
Recently, reacting to the loudspeakers controversy heated up in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the state government will discuss the order of the court and will talk to the Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil about it.
The debate sparked after Raj Thackeray asked the state government to remove the loudspeakers from mosques and warned of "putting loudspeakers in front of the mosques and play Hanuman Chalisa".
MNS president Raj Thackeray on Sunday said he will visit Ayodhya on June 5 to take darshan of Lord Ram and appealed to "Hindu brothers" to "be prepared" if loudspeakers are not removed from mosques by May 3. Stating that loudspeakers relaying the 'azaan' call is more of a social issue than a religious one, Thackeray said they don't want peace in the society disturbed, "but if the use of loudspeakers continues then they (Muslims) will also have to listen to our prayers on loudspeakers". "On May 1, I will address a public gathering at Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad).
On June 5, I will visit Ayodhya for darshan along with MNS volunteers. I also appeal to others to come to Ayodhya," the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president told a press conference in Pune. When asked about the purpose of his visit to Ayodhya, Raj Thackeray parried the question, saying he has not travelled out for a long time. However, speaking about the Ayodhya visit after the press conference, he said, "So many 'kar sevaks' lost their lives for it (Ram temple). And due to the Supreme Court and central government, the Ram temple is being established there. So I want to go there at its initial stage (of construction).
Later, once the temple gets ready, everybody will visit it again." Interestingly, amid a war of words between the ruling Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray, Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that state minister Aaditya Thackeray will visit Ayodhya next month. Raj Thackeray reiterated his demand that loudspeakers on mosques be removed by May 3 or else MNS will play 'Hanuman Chalisa' eulogising Lord Hanuman on loudspeakers outside mosques. "People think that loudspeakers atop mosques is a religious issue, but it is a social issue. If you want to play loudspeakers five times a day then we will play 'Hanuman Chalisa' five times in front of mosques. I appeal to all Hindu brothers to be prepared. We will wait till May 3 when Ramzan ends. But if they don't stop, and if they think that their religion is bigger than the judiciary, then we will give tit for tat.
