Picture : Twitter / ANI
Heavy security was deployed at several places in Mumbai and adjoining cities on Wednesday, a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray urged people to play the Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers wherever they hear loudspeakers “blaring ‘azaan’.
According to ANI report, Security has been heightened outside Raj Thackeray’s residence.
All senior police officials, including Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey, were out to take stock of the security deployment, he said. Police were also deployed outside mosques at some places.
There was nakabandi’ (blockade) at various locations and vehicles were being checked since the early hours to avoid any untoward incident, the official said.
Further Navi Mumbai’s Sanpada Police detained the city head of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Yogesh Shete
Earlier, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers played Hanuman Chalisa on a loudspeaker near a mosque in Charkop area of Mumbai on Wednesday morning.
In a video, an MNS worker, holding the party flag, was seen playing the Hanuman Chalisa on a loudspeaker from a high-rise in Mumbai.
In the background, the ‘azaan’ could be heard from a loudspeaker of a nearby mosque.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray while defending his agitation has tweeted a video of the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray where he promises to remove loudspeakers from mosques.
In the video, Bal Thackeray is seen saying that he will stop the practice of offering namaz on roads when his government will come to power.
“The day my government comes to power in Maharashtra, we will stop the practice of offering namaz on roads. The religion has to be such that it should not interfere with national development. People should not get disturbed by it. If anyone is being harassed by our Hindu Dharma, let him come and tell us, we are ready to take care of it. Loudspeakers from mosques will come down,” Bal Thackeray said in the video.
