New Delhi: A day after Raj Thackeray released a tweet saying the loudspeaker issue he has raked up is a social and not a religious one, Maharashtra police chief Rajnish Seth said legal action will be taken against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader over his recent speech against loudspeakers at mosques.
“Notices under section 149 of CrPC (preventing cognisable offences) have been issued to over 13,000 persons,” Seth said, according to PTI.
“Aurangabad CP is looking into the speech. He will take whatever legal action that is needed,” Seth told reporters.
On May 1, Thackeray, at a rally in Aurangabad, called for silencing loudspeakers at the mosques from May 4.
At the Aurangabad rally, Thackeray had also asked people to play Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques from May 4 if loudspeakers there were not removed.
“If you are going to do nuisance by playing azaan on loudspeakers from mosques, we will recite and play Hanuman Chalisa outside that mosque loudly. I don’t want to cause riots in Maharashtra. Muslims too need to understand that very well. Earlier also I had said that loudspeaker is not a religious issue but a social issue. If you are giving a religious colour to the loudspeaker topic, then we will have to answer with religion,” he said, according to an Indian Express report.
Thackeray also cited the example of Uttar Pradesh, adding that “if loudspeakers were removed there,” they could be removed in Maharashtra too.
Earlier on Tuesday, home minister Dilip Walse Patil, Seth and senior police officials reviewed the law-and-order situation in the backdrop of the MNS chief’s deadline.
On May, Thackeray tweeted an “appeal” to his party members, asking them not to perform “maha aartis” – rituals associated with Hindu celebrations of Akshaya Tritiya, which is also being celebrated on the same day as Eid.
“The loudspeaker issue is not a religious issue; it is a social issue with related inconvenience,” Maharashtra police are capable of handling any kind of law-and-order situation. SRPF and Home Guards have been deployed in the state,” top cop Seth said, appealing to everyone to maintain peace.
Leave of all police personnel has been cancelled on this day, he said.
“Police are fully prepared to tackle the situation in the state and have been given clear instructions to take stern action against those creating trouble,” he said.
Warrant against Thackeray
PTI reported on Tuesday that on April 6, a court in western Maharashtra’s Sangli district issued a non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray in connection with a 14-year-old ‘inflammatory speech’ case.
In 2008, Thackeray was booked under sections 109 and 117 (abetment of offence) 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 asked Mumbai police commission to arrest the MNS chief and present him before the court.
“The judge issued the warrant against Thackeray and another MNS leader Shirish Parkar through Mumbai police commissioner and Kherwadi police station respectively as they failed to produce themselves before the court during the case proceeding,” said assistant public prosecutor, Jyoti Patil.
She said the court has asked police to implement the warrant before June 8 and produce both the leaders before the court.
In 2008, MNS workers had staged a protest in Shirala against the arrest of Thackeray in an agitation seeking priority for local youth in jobs.
A local MNS functionary claimed there was a government rule which states that political cases prior to 2012 should be withdrawn. However, this case is being raked up as Thackeray raised the issue of loudspeakers atop mosques, he added. The Wire
