Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who sparked a controversy demanding the removal of loudspeakers from mosques across the State, on Thursday lauded the Yogi Adityanath–led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh removing loudspeakers from religious establishments, “specially the masjids”.
“I wholeheartedly congratulate and stand grateful to the Yogi government for having removed the loudspeakers from religious places, especially the masjids. Unfortunately, in Maharashtra we don’t have any yogis, only ‘bhogis’ [hedonists]…Here’s hoping and praying good sense prevails,” said the MNS chief in a message he posted on Twitter.
In his April 2 speech in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on the occasion of Gudi Padwa (the Marathi new year), Mr. Thackeray, advocating a hard ‘Hindutva’ line, had given an ‘ultimatum’ to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government (of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress) to remove loudspeakers from mosques used during the Azaan (prayer) on account of the noise pollution caused by them.
Despite an all–party meeting called by Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse–Patil last week to resolve the issue, the MNS has remained firm on their May 3 ‘ultimatum’.
Reacting to Mr. Raj Thackeray’s adulation of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar pointedly said the MNS chief never criticised the BJP while reserving his vitriol only for the three parties of the ruling MVA government.
“It is observed that Mr. Thackeray never censures the BJP, while criticising only the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress…but in 2019, at the time of the Lok Sabha election, he was seen indirectly supporting the NCP and the Congress while targeting the BJP. His shifting stances cannot be erased and are there for the public to see,” Mr. Pawar said.
The MVA leadership has been accusing the MNS of playing divisive politics following the latter’s advocacy of hardline ‘Hindutva’ and acting as the “b–team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to cannibalise the votes of the ruling Shiv Sena (the BJP’s erstwhile saffron partner).
The Shiv Sena and the NCP have accused the MNS of deliberately trying to create a law and order situation in Maharashtra by stoking communal tensions to facilitate the BJP’s wish to impose President’s rule.
Preparations have already begun in full swing in Aurangabad city where the MNS chief is scheduled to deliver a much–anticipated public address on “Maharashtra Day” on May 1.
While the State government and the Aurangabad police have yet to give their official nod for the event, Mr. Walse-Patil on Wednesday hinted that the police would give the green signal for Mr. Thackeray’s public address with a number of caveats.
According to sources, the police would make it binding on the MNS to ensure that its leader would not make provocative speeches against any community nor attempt to stoke communal tensions and ensure that social harmony is maintained.
The Aurangabad venue is noteworthy as it is the same place where the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray addressed a massive rally and gave the call for ‘Aurangabad’ (named after Aurangzeb) to be renamed as ‘Sambhajinagar’ (after Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the Maratha king who was brutally tortured and murdered by Aurangzeb).
Given the MNS’ tilt towards the BJP, Mr. Thackeray’s address in Aurangabad is seen as an attempt to break the dominance of the Shiv Sena led by his estranged cousin and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Besides Mumbai city and Thane, the Sena has been dominating the Aurangabad civic body for over 25 years now.
