Centre should bring policy on loudspeakers, says Maha home minister

Mumbai: The Union government should come out with a policy on the use of loudspeakers, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said here on Friday.

He also thanked people from both Hindu and Muslim communities for cooperating with the state government in the maintenance of peace amid a row over the use of loudspeakers by mosques. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray had last month demanded the removal of loudspeakers from mosques in the state, and asked his party workers to play the Hanuman Chalisa at higher volumes if it did not happen.

”The Centre should bring a policy (on loudspeakers) for the entire country. But I will thank the Muslim and Hindu communities. This issue could be handled peacefully and law and order could be maintained in the state because of their cooperation,” Walse-Patil said.

The minister was speaking to reporters after holding a meeting to review the law and order situation in the state.

He was also asked about a court’s observation while granting bail to Independent MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana that mere expression of derogatory or objectionable words may not be a sufficient ground for invoking the charge of sedition. The courts have the right to make comments, Walse-Patil said, adding that ”but the police study everything while registering any offence.” He had not yet got a copy of the court’s judgment and would make comments on the issue after studying the decision, he added.

The Mumbai police had arrested the Ranas on April 23 on the charge of sedition among other offenses following their announcement to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence here.