Loudspeaker row: Raj Thackeray lauds Yogi-led UP govt, takes 'bhogi' jibe at Maha CM

In UP, nearly 11,000 unauthorised loudspeakers had been removed from religious places and volume of another 35,000 was set to permissible limits Pradesh following a government order, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday lauded the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government's decision to remove loudspeakers from religious structures, and took a dig at his cousin and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, saying the western state unfortunately has bhogis. In UP, nearly 11,000 unauthorised loudspeakers had been removed from religious places and volume of another 35,000 was set to permissible limits Pradesh following a government order, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

UP's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar had said a statewide drive was being undertaken to remove unauthorised loudspeakers from religious places and set the volume of others within permissible limits. Raj Thackeray on Thursday in a message on Twitter said, I wholeheartedly congratulate and stand grateful to the Yogi government for having removed the loudspeakers from religious places, specially the masjids." "Unfortunately in Maharashtra we don't have any 'yogis'; what we have are 'bhogis' (hedonists). Here's hoping and praying good sense prevails.. the MNS chief added.

Raj Thackeray recently gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to remove loudspeakers from religious places, especially mosques, in the state by May 3, which has led to a political row in the state over the issue. Refusing to give in to his demand, the Maharashtra government has put the ball in the Centre's court and said since the directive on use of loudspeakers has come from the Supreme Court, the Union government should form guidelines for the same. Raj Thackeray had in the past showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and batted for his candidature for the PM's post in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

PTI