Police file case against Raj Thakrey over his Aurangabad rally speech

Aurangabad:A case was filed by the Aurangabad police on Tuesday against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, two days after he called for removing ‘loudspeakers’ from mosques from May 4.The Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth earlier in the day said that Aurangabad police commissioner will take appropriate legal action against Thackeray over his speech against loudspeakers on the mosques.

The case was registered by City Chowk police under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 116 (abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment-if offence be not committed) and 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than 10 persons) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act.

The organisers of Thackeray’s rally were also booked, the official from city Chowk police station said. In the Aurangabad rally on May 1, Thackeray had asked people to play Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques from May 4 if loudspeakers there were not removed.

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, DGP Seth and senior police officials reviewed the law-and-order situation in the backdrop of the MNS chief’s deadline. “Maharashtra police are capable of handling any kind of law-and-order situation. SRPF and Home Guards have been deployed in the state,” Seth said. However, he appealed to everyone to maintain peace.