Sena leader Kishori Pednekar warns of 'court action' after Raj Thackeray's ultimatum

Mumbai, May 2: A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray repeated his 'loudspeaker ultimatum' for May 3, Shiv Sena leader and Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar warned MNS party workers they shouldn't take the law into their hands, else their life will be wasted attending court dates.

Pednekar said that loudspeakers should be used in accordance with noise pollution rules. "If anyone breaches the prescribed decibel limit, then the loudspeaker should be removed. No one, including Muslims, opposed Hanuman Chalisa. Loudspeakers will be removed from temples and mosques. I appeal to all to maintain peace. Law is equal for all. If Raj Thackeray has said anything objectionable in his speech, then action will be taken against him."

Further, she said, “Loudspeakers should be used in accordance with noise pollution rules. If anyone breaches the prescribed decibel limit then loudspeaker should be removed. MNS workers shouldn’t take the law into their hands otherwise their life will be wasted attending court dates."

Also Read | Raj Thackeray to meet UP CM Yogi Adityanath on June 4 amidst loudspeaker row

She said that because of Raj Thackeray’s demands, loudspeakers will now have to be brought down from temples as well. “Until now no Muslims objected to Hanuman Chalisa. But from now loudspeakers will be removed from temples as well. This is Hindustan, and we will miss the morning ‘kakad’ aarti in temples. In villages, many people live far away from temples, therefore loudspeakers were used whenever kirtans, bhajans, and aartis took place in the temples. However, now they have been removed. This act of Raj Thackeray is anti-Hindu,” she added.

Thackeray, in a rally in Aurangabad on May 1, reiterated his earlier statement that if loudspeakers are not removed from mosques by May 3, Hanuman Chalisa would be played at double the volume.