Loudspeaker row: Will keep playing Hanuman Chalisa during Azaan... Raj Thackray's warning - 10 points

Earlier in the day, amid the loudspeaker row, security was heightened outside the residence of Raj Thackeray in Mumbai. The MNS chief accused the police of not taking action against mosques that flouted norms. "You (police) are only taking action against our workers," said the MNS chief.

Pic courtesy: ANI

Mumbai: The loudspeaker row in Maharashtra is showing no signs of abating with MNS chief Raj Thackeray asserting that his party will continue with the protests "until all illegal loudspeakers" are removed. Here are 10 key updates:

- MNS chief Raj Thackeray, "We will continue playing Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques at the time of Azaan until all illegal loudspeakers will be removed. I have to see what Supreme Court is doing if the government is not following its order." Raj Thackeray said that "all illegal loudspeakers should be removed from mosques, until they are removed we will continue our agitations."

- As per news reports, loudspeakers remained switched off at the time of Azaan at several places in Maharashtra, including Parbhani, Osmanabad, Hingoli, parts of Jalna, Nanded, Nandurbar, Shirdi, and Shrirampur. Whereas in some other places, they were used on low volume.

- Raj Thackeray said it's not a religious but social issue. "It's not only about mosques, there are several temples where illegal loudspeakers are running. I have already made it clear that it's (illegal loudspeakers) not a religious issue but a social issue," he said.

- "We want peace in the state. What actions you're (police) taking on those 135 mosques that violated SC guidelines today. You (police) are only taking action against our workers," said the MNS chief.

-  Earlier in the day, amid the loudspeaker row, security was heightened outside the residence of  Raj Thackeray in Mumbai. On Tuesday, Maharashtra Police registered a case against Thackeray over his speech at a rally held in Aurangabad on May 1. Police registered the case after seeing the viral videos of his public rally. Following this heavy police deployment was made outside the MNS chief`s Shivaji Park residence. 

- Earlier on Wednesday, he shared a video of the Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray in which he is seen speaking against the use of loudspeakers and Muslims offering prayers on the roads. Raj Thackeray had recently posed in Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's trademark attire in a social media post.

- "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 said in the video posted by the MNS chief on his Twitter handle today."If someone has any complaint about the Hindu religion, then they can come to us, and we will solve the issue. Loudspeakers will be removed from the mosques," Bal Thackeray said in the video shared by Raj Thackeray.

- Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, meanwhile, asserted that there was no violation of loudspeaker guidelines in Maharashtra and said no one should teach Hindutva to his party. Without taking the names of the BJP and MNS, Raut told reporters that people do not take cognisance of people who, with the support of "pseudo Hindutvawadis", conspire against the Shiv Sena.

- The Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson, without naming Raj Thackeray, said the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) was running as per law and not on anyone's ultimatum.

- Raj Thackeray has been targeting the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and has given a call for "silencing" loudspeakers atop mosques.

(With Agency inputs)