Ramdas Athawale slams Raj Thackeray amid loudspeakers row

Union Minister for social justice and empowerment and Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale on Saturday lashed out at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and said RPI does not support Thackeray's stand over loudspeakers.

"Raj Thackeray is a militant leader. Our party workers will be deployed to protect the loudspeakers on the mosque," said Athawale.

Addressing a press conference in Pune, Ramdas Athwale said, "Raj Thackeray is a big leader. He is a big militant leader. His stand on removing loudspeakers is wrong. If he wants, he can put the loudspeaker on temples but can't ask to remove them from mosques."

He also vehemently opposed Thackeray's loudspeaker statement and called his motives unconstitutional.

"I oppose Raj Thackeray's stand, this is unconstitutional. There is no reason to think differently over loudspeakers as it takes only 2 minutes to give Azaan," he added.

Athawale's remarks came after Thackeray warned the Maha Vikas Aghadi government that the loudspeakers from mosques should be removed by May 3, failing which MNS workers will install speakers outside mosques and play the Hanuman Chalisa.

(ANI)

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