On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Police registered a case against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray over his public rally at Aurangabad on the foundation day of the Maharashtra state, on 1st May. The Police have also registered a case against the organizers of the rally where Thackeray warned the state government to take down the loudspeakers from the mosques in the state before May 4.
A case registered in Aurangabad against MNS chief Raj Thackeray and organisers of a public rally where Thackeray delivered a speech on May 1st. Police registered the case after seeing the videos of his public rally.
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2022
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/4wa9GAPHg3
According to the reports, the Maharashtra Police had imposed 16 terms and conditions before giving permission to the organizers of the rally. The Police revealed on May 3 that the organizers violated 12 out of 16 terms, and that the MNS chief had incited the public to instigate violence in the state. Earlier, on Sunday, Thackeray called the loudspeakers a nuisance and said that he was firm on the May 4 deadline for the removal of loudspeakers from the mosques. He also said that if the loudspeakers were not taken down by May 4, then his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa outside these religious places.
The MNS chief further lauded UP CM Yogi Adityanath for his decision to remove over 40,000 loudspeakers from the religious places and reduce the sound of around 55,000 loudspeakers to permissible limits. He said that if the Uttar Pradesh government could remove loudspeakers, what was stopping the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government.
“I won’t be responsible for what happens after the May 3 deadline to remove the loudspeakers from the mosques,” he had said, adding, “loudspeakers is a social issue, but if it is being made a religious one, then we shall give a reply in the same manner. Eid will be celebrated on May 3. We don’t want to vitiate the atmosphere. But from May 4, we’ll not listen to anyone. Loudspeakers have no place in religion. If they (Muslims) don’t understand nicely, we will show them the power of Maharashtra.”
According to the reports, on May 2, Thackeray also canceled the ‘Maha aarti’ that was scheduled to be held at Prabhadevi on the occasion of the Akshaya Tritiya festival. He also requested his supporters and activists to not perform ‘maha aarti’ on Tuesday. “To Maharashtra Sainiks (MNS workers), tomorrow it’s Eid. In yesterday’s Aurangabad rally, I have already spoken about that. Please don’t do maha aarti on the festive occasion of Akshaya Tritiya as decided earlier. We don’t have to bring any obstacles to anyone’s festivities. The issue of loudspeakers is not a religious matter, but it’s a social issue. What we have to do about it will be decided in the future. I will put forth my views about this through a tweet tomorrow. Only this much for now”, he tweeted.
Appeal to Maharashtra Sainik’s… pic.twitter.com/sTzbTI14Qu
— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) May 2, 2022
Reportedly, the Maharashtra Police booked Thackeray under various sections of the IPC after watching the videos of the rally that went viral over social media. The state administration is also looking into the law and order situation. “CM Uddhav Thackeray and State Home Minister Dilip Valse Patil held a review meeting regarding the law and order situation. Maharashtra police are capable of handling any kind of law and order situation. SRPF and Home Guards have been deployed in the state. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace”, said Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth on May 3.
Today Home Minister held a review meeting regarding law and order situation. Maharashtra police is capable of handling any kind of law and order situation. SRPF and Home Guards deployed in the state. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace: Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth pic.twitter.com/mVmRjqrCMt
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2022
Earlier today, a court in Maharashtra’s Sangli district also issued a non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray in connection with a 14-year-old case. In 2008, Thackeray was booked under sections 109 and 117 (abetment of offense) of IPC for allegedly making inflammatory speeches. While issuing the non-bailable warrant on April 6, Judicial Magistrate, First Class at Shirala in Sangli district had asked the Mumbai police commissioner to arrest the MNS chief and present him before the court.
In 2008, MNS workers staged a protest in Shirala against the arrest of Thackeray in an agitation seeking priority for local youths in jobs. The court has asked police to implement the warrant before June 8 and produce Thackeray and MNS leader Shirish Parkar before the court.
