AMPLIFYING HIS PRESENCE

RAJ THACKERAY

- Kiran D. Tare

On the face of it, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s campaign against the use of loudspeakers in mosques for azaan and other purposes met its objective—over 90 per cent did not use them at dawn on May 4, the deadline set by the politician. The silence has persisted since then. As part of his agitation, a combative Raj had also ordered MNS cadre to play the Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques from May 4 if azaan was still announced before 6 am (the Supreme Court restricted the use of loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am in a 2005 order). It forced the Maharashtra police to implement its 2017 guidelines, which say that use of loudspeakers needed prior permission, with a decibel limit of 55 for religious places. Raj Thackeray’s stand is being seen as a muscular and daring move to seize the political initiative that the MNS was thought to have irretrievably lost after a string of poor electoral results. Through this successful sally, Raj has regained some space in state politics ahead of crucial local body elections later this year. Moreover, with his eager use of Hindutva, he has pushed estranged cousin and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray into a corner.