In a surprise move, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray on Monday said Muslims will not be disturbed from celebrating Ramzan Eid on Tuesday. "Tomorrow is Ramzan Eid. Muslims must celebrate this festival with joy. As per the pre-decided programmes of Akshaya Trittiya, do not perform 'aartis' tomorrow," he appealed to all his partymen. Raj Thackeray made it clear that the MNS shall not create problems for celebrating any festival, as the issue of loudspeakers is not a religious one but a social cause. On the loudspeakers matter, he said he would announce his plan of action on Tuesday via social media.
The development came a day after he breathed fire at loudspeakers on mosques at his huge rally in Aurangabad, earning the ire of most political parties in the state, especially the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi. At the Sunday night rally, he reiterated his ultimatum of yanking off loudspeakers from all religious places, particularly mosques, by Wednesday failing which his party workers would blare out Hanuman Chalisa at double decibel levels in the state. Raj Thackeray came in for massive criticism from the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, Samajwadi Party, Sambhaji Brigade, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and other top leaders for his utterances laced with hidden threats.