MNS Warns Sanjay Raut For Comparing Raj Thackeray With Owaisi, Says 'Will Shut Your Loudspeaker'

With the poster, there also was an image of a razed car that belonged to Raut which was damaged by Raj Thackeray's supporters after Raj announced his resignation from Shiv Sena in November 2005. 

The Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) has put up posters outside the Saamna newspaper office challenging Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena to 'shut down' his loudspeaker.

Maharashtra's politics is raked up by the issue of Azaan (Muslims' call for prayer) on loudspeakers. The MNS chief has given the state government an ultimatum till May 3, 2022, to take down the loudspeakers from the mosques. 

When asked Raut about Raj Thackeray's ultimatum, he said that Raj is Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) loudspeaker. “Everyone knows that this (MNS) is the BJP’s loudspeaker. Those who cannot fight directly with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are creating such an atmosphere. Such people are being made to speak against us to score brownie points,” Raut said. He also said that BJP was using Raj Thackeray in Maharashtra similar to that the party had used AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in Uttar Pradesh during assembly elections. 

In reply, MNS workers put up posters outside the Saamna newspaper office, where Raut works as the editor. The poster reads: "Whom did you call Owaisi? Sanjay Raut shut down your loudspeaker, the whole of Maharashtra is facing a problem due to it. Or else we'll shut down your loudspeaker in MNS style"  

With the poster, there also was an image of a razed car that belonged to Raut that was damaged by Raj Thackeray's supporters after Raj announced his resignation from Shiv Sena in November 2005. 

Thackeray, who campaigned against the Modi government during the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 is now talking about Hindutva, a topic that is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These developments have given rise to the discussion on a possible coalition between BJP and MNS in the upcoming civic body polls.