On Raj Thackeray's loudspeakers 'deadline', Mumbai mayor's ‘court dates’ warning for MNS workers

Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar, responding to MNS chief Raj Thackeray's ultimatum, said on Monday that loudspeakers should be used in accordance with noise pollution rules, and if anyone breaches the prescribed decibel limit, they should be removed.

She, however, warned Maharashtra Navnirmal Sena (MNS) workers of not taking the law into their hands, "otherwise their life will be wasted attending court dates".

"No one, including Muslims, opposed Hanuman Chalisa... Loudspeakers will be removed from temples and mosques. 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," news agency ANI quoted Pednekar as saying.

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

Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Aurangabad on Sunday, Thackeray remained firm on the May 3 deadline for the removal of loudspeakers from mosques.

The MNS head had accused the NCP chief of playing caste politics in Maharashtra, and said he was allergic to the word 'Hindu'. The MNS chief had said if the Uttar Pradesh government could remove the loudspeakers, what was stopping the Maharashtra government, led by his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray, from doing so.

However, in a veiled attack on Thackeray, the chief minister had on Sunday said he does not pay attention to "new players" of Hindutva. Without naming the MNS, the CM also said the party was making experiments to see if any cause was working for it or not.