‘Even Lord Ram will be’: Sanjay Raut's ‘Rokhthok’ on MP violence, azaan row

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has written about the incidents of violence on the day of Ram Navami reported from various states in his weekly column Rokhthok for party mouthpiece Saamana. Even Lord Ram will be restless over what happened in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, the Shiv Sena MP wrote. He also touched upon the loudspeaker row Maharashtra is witnessing following the threat of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray that the state government will have to take down all loudspeakers from mosques by May 3. Otherwise, MNS will play Hanuman Chalisa, Raj Thackeray has threatened.

Talking about the incident of JNU and the other incidents of violence on the occasion of Ram Navami, Raut said it was not a good sign for the country. Ram Navami processions have always been a part of the country's culture, but never before swords were wielded in the name of Lord Ram. . "This cannot be called Hindutva. Stoking communal fires in name of Lord Ram is an insult to the idea of Ram," he said.

"Can anyone believe Muslims will hurl stones at a Ram Navami procession in Gujarat, the home state of PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah?" Sanjay Raut wrote.

"If Shiv Sena organises a Hindutva procession in Mumbai, then there is no attack on it. But if the BJP or its B-team organises such a procession, then there definitely will be such untoward incidents. It seems such arrangements have been made," Sanjay Raut wrote.

"If someone wants to stoke the fire of fundamentalism and disturb the peace to win elections, they are sowing seeds of a second Partition," Sanjay Raut's editorial said.

"There are 22 crore Muslim population in the country. The Muslim population is on the rise. And if this is concerning for anyone, then legislation on family control can be the solution. Riots of Ram Navami are not," the Sena MP wrote.

(With PTI inputs)