Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has hit out at MNS president Raj Thackeray’s demand to remove loudspeakers from mosques, saying the state cannot tolerate the alleged divisive call given “to appease election watchers”.
Without naming Thackeray, Pawar asked what the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief was going to achieve by making such statements and whether his livelihood issue would be resolved by instigating people.
“Shahu cannot tolerate Phule, Ambedkar’s speeches to please anyone watching Maharashtra elections,” Pawar said at an event in Ahmednagar district’s Shirdi on Wednesday.
He said Maharashtra has ensured communal harmony over the years, but “leaders of some parties” have recently been talking of installing loudspeakers “here and there”. “Some people are trying to create confusion in the society. We have been living in harmony for years. We have been successful in maintaining communal harmony in the society by leaving no rift between communities and religions. But leaders of some parties are talking about installing counter loudspeakers (to play Hanuman Chalisa). Mukhiya’s comment because he has to face the people and get re-elected.
“Why this division? What are we going to gain from this? Will they be solved by provoking them? Will the youth who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic get their jobs back?” He asked.
Last Saturday, the MNS president had strongly advocated the removal of loudspeakers from mosques. Addressing a rally at Shivaji Park, Thackeray had also said that if such a step was not taken, loudspeakers would be installed outside mosques so that ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ could be played in higher volumes.
The BJP supported Thackeray’s demand. In Pune, former MNS corporator and the party’s city unit president Vasant More had said it was difficult to act on Thackeray’s instructions regarding loudspeakers. “As a city unit president, I certainly have to accept the stand of party chief Rajsaheb Thackeray, but I feel that as a public representative (corporate), the issue (to implement Thackeray’s decree) May be inconvenient for me in my ward. A public representative has to take an inclusive approach,” More had said.
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