Raj Thackeray Raising Issue Of Loudspeakers As He's 'Jealous' Of Brother Uddhav Becoming CM, Says Sanjay Raut

Raj Thackeray released an old video of Shiv Sena founder Balasahab Thackeray on his twitter handle Wednesday in which he is heard opposing the use of loudspeakers at religious places.

New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut came down heavily on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for sharing an old clip of Sena founder Balasahab Thackeray and comparing his views with the iconic leader on the issue of using loudspeakers at religious places and Muslims offering namaz on roads. Questioning the MNS chief’s motive, Raut asked why wasn’t the issue raised when Vilasrao Deshmukh or Prithviraj Chavan or Devendra Fadnavis were in power in Maharashtra. He accused Raj Thackeray of playing politics.

"There is politics over loudspeakers everywhere and some old clips of Balasaheb on his views about loudspeakers in mosques are being shared. Why this issue was never raised for 50 years when Vilasrao Deshmukh, Prithviraj Chavan and Devendra Fadnavis were CM?" said Raut while addressing a rally in the Hadapsar area of Pune on Thursday, reported news agency ANI.

Addressing the crowd further the Shiv Sena leader accused Raj Thackeray of jealousy and said, "He (MNS chief Raj Thackeray) never had any issue with loudspeakers during this period, but he has this issue now because his brother (Uddhav Thackeray) is the CM of Maharashtra,"

Raj Thackeray released an old video of Shiv Sena founder Balasahab Thackeray on his twitter handle Wednesday in which he is heard opposing the use of loudspeakers at religious places and Muslims offering namaz (prayers) on the streets.

"We (Shiv Sena) will not stop until we are successful in preventing the people from offering namaz on roads when we will form the government in Maharashtra," Bal Thackeray was heard saying in the video, as reported by ANI.

The loudspeaker controversy became an MNS versus Shiv Sena issue soon after Raj Thackeray posted the Balasaheb video in a message indicating he is the ideological heir of his uncle and the Sena founder. 

Raj Thackeray on April 12 had threatened the Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3, failing which he  would play Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques.

The MNS chief has vowed to carry on with his campaign against loudspeakers at mosques and other religious places.