Mumbai: 4 MNS workers held for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on loudspeaker outside Shiv Sena Bhavan

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Mumbai police on Sunday detained four workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on a loudspeaker in front of the Shiv Sena headquarters in Dadar area, an official said.

The police also seized the loudspeaker, a cab on which it was mounted and other items, he said.

On April 2, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had demanded that loudspeakers at mosques be shut down and said if this is not stopped, “there will be speakers outside mosques playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ at higher volume”.

He had also criticised NCP chief Sharad Pawar, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra, accusing him of “playing the caste card from time to time and dividing society”. He had also taken potshots at Maharashtra Chief Minister and his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray, On Sunday morning, after being alerted about MNS members playing the religious hymn on a loudspeaker outside the Sena Bhavan, police reached the spot and detained MNS functionary Yashwant Killedar and three other workers of the outfit, the official from Shivaji Park police station said.

Following their detention, a number of MNS workers gathered in a small temple located near the police station premises and start singing the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ and other religious songs.

“We have detained four MNS workers for playing a loudspeaker in front of the Sena Bhavan. We are conducting further investigation into the matter,” the police official said.

Last Sunday, some MNS workers had played the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in front the party office in Kalyan town of neighbouring Thane district.