FIR lodged against Raj Thackeray

The Aurangabad Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against MNS chief Raj Thackeray over a rally he addressed in the district on May 1.

The move comes even as the MNS chief had set a 'deadline' of Tuesday to remove loudspeakers from mosques in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray had said if loudspeakers were not removed from mosques by Tuesday, then the MNS would from Wednesday position loudspeakers outside the Muslim shrines and play Hanuman Chalisa at loud volume.

Reports on Tuesday said the Aurangabad Police had booked Raj Thackeray and organisers of the May 1 rally, which was held to mark Maharashtra Day.

ANI reported the police registered the case after seeing videos of the rally. At the rally, Raj Thackeray had reiterated his demand for removal of loudspeakers from mosques.

Republic TV reported that an intelligence report on the MNS rally in Aurangabad had been submitted to Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut defended the action against Raj Thackeray. “Such cases are filed across the country. If somebody gives an instigating speech, if somebody writes something like that, such actions are taken against it. What is the big deal about it?,” Raut told ANI.

ANI reported Patil “briefed CM Uddhav Thackeray on the law and order situation in the state. CM ordered that police should take all measures to maintain law and order and not wait for anyone's order.”

Moreover, the Maharashtra home department claimed it had received intelligence that people from other states “might come to Maharashtra to disturb the law and order situation in the state”.

Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth had said the Aurangabad Police would act against Raj Thackeray. Also on Tuesday, reports said a court in Sangli district had directed the Mumbai Police to arrest Raj Thackeray. The non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray relates to a case from 2008. Raj Thackeray was then accused of making inflammatory speeches.