Now, MNS plans maha aartis on Ramzan Eid

Raj Thackeray. File Pic

After courting controversy over the recital of Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has announced maha aartis across the state on the Hindu festival Akshaya Tritiya which overlaps with Ramzan Eid on May 3. Two days ahead of it, party president Raj Thackeray will address a public rally in communally sensitive Aurangabad city.

On Tuesday, MNS leaders met Raj Thackeray to prepare for the events, including a proposed visit to Ayodhya on June 5. MNS has given an ultimatum to the state government for removing loudspeakers from mosques, failing which the party workers have threatened to use high decibel sound systems to recite the Hanuman Chalisa when Muslims read their prayers five times a day. Raj has refused to accept the agitation as a religious matter and instead called it a social issue caused by the people who consider religion above society.

Following the tension and law and order concerns the MNS threat has caused, the home department has decided to come out with uniform guidelines for using loudspeakers for religious and any other purpose. The state cabinet meeting to be held on Wednesday will be apprised of the draft guidelines, said sources.

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said the party would wait for the guidelines, but not roll back on agitation or maha aarti. He said the party has asked the state government to upgrade Raj's security from Y to Z-plus in view of the threats he has been receiving. "If the state doesn't meet our demand, we will ask the Centre for protecting our leader," he said, adding that the party was in touch with the India Railways for making special trains available for travelling to Ayodhya.

Home minister Dilip Walse Patil said that the Centre has provided some leaders security in an act of infringement on the state's rights. "If such a letter [from MNS] has been sent to the state, it will be taken up at an appropriate forum. The state has a special committee that assesses threats and decides on providing [and upgrading] the protection cover," he said.

Patil ruled out the possibility of law and order troubles in the wake of the MNS agitation, but has asked the police to put in place all preventive measures, based on the profile of each district in the state.