Four MNS party workers have been taken into custody for playing "Hanuman Chalisa" outside Sena Bhavan on Sunday. The police have confiscated the loudspeakers as well as the car on which they were mounted. While addressing party workers at Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra new year) the party chief Raj Thackeray criticised the government and demanded loudspeakers on the mosques be shut down otherwise there will be loudspeakers outside mosques playing "Hanuman Chalisa".
The police said that on Sunday morning, after being alerted about MNS members playing the religious hymn on a loudspeaker outside the Sena Bhavan, they reached the spot and detained MNS functionary Yashwant Killedar and three other workers of the outfit. The detained persons were taken to the Shivaji Park police station, where they were being questioned in connection with the matter.
Soon after the detention, a number of MNS workers gathered in a small temple located near the police station premises and started singing the 'Hanuman Chalisa' and other religious songs. A senior official said, "We have detained four MNS workers for playing a loudspeaker in front of the Sena Bhavan. We are conducting further investigation into the matter."
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".
