Mumbai: Amidst the clamour by the BJP and MNS for a ban on loudspeakers in mosques, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed that there was an attempt to disturb peace in Maharashtra. Referring to the recent incidents of violence on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti, Raut said that the atmosphere of the country was deliberately being vitiated to gain political advantage in elections.
“There were attempts to jeopardise peace in Maharashtra but the people and police here are peaceful. Some people had a mission to provoke riots in the name of Ram and Hanuman through ‘New Owaisi’/ ‘Hindu Owaisi’ of the state. We won’t let that happen,” said Raut.
He was taking a dig at MNS chief Raj Thackeray, terming him the new ‘Hindu Owaisi’. “In Maharashtra too, a ‘Hindu Owaisi’ made all manner of efforts to disturb the peace on Hanuman Jayanti. Concerted efforts were made to create disturbances in Maharashtra but the people and police are patient and strong,” he said. Raut targeted Raj Thackeray for giving an ultimatum to the state government to remove loudspeakers at the mosques by May 3.
“Some loudspeakers have made it clear who the ‘Hindu Owaisi’ is. The issue of loudspeakers atop mosques could have been discussed with the government. But the intention was to create a law-and-order situation to fulfil the BJP’s wish for imposing the President’s rule in the state,” claimed Raut.
“The BJP used (AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi) in the UP elections, and wants to use the ‘Hindu Owaisi’ in Maharashtra,” he alleged.
Non-BJP CMs may meet in Mumbai
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said a conference of non-BJP chief ministers was likely to be held in Mumbai soon, to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states, underlining the need to discuss the current situation in the country, he added.
“NCP president Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray have discussed this and efforts are on to hold such a conference in Mumbai,” Raut said.
According to Raut, various issues, including unemployment, inflation, the ‘misuse’ of Central probe agencies, and attempts to create communal discord will be discussed in the upcoming meeting.
Raut’s statement came a day after the leaders of 13 opposition parties had, on Saturday, expressed deep concern over the recent incidents of hate speech and communal violence in the country and urged people to maintain peace and harmony. In a joint statement, opposition leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and her Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand counterparts M K Stalin and Hemant Soren, respectively, expressed concern over how issues relating to food, dress, faith, festivals and language “are being used” by the ruling establishment to polarise society.
