Hanuman Chalisa Row: Police Deployed For Protection of Maharashtra CM at his Residence

New Delhi: Police personnel deployed outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence ‘Motishree’ in suburban Bandra after legislators Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana’s said they plan to recite the Hanuman Chalisa there.

Amaravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband, Badnera MLA Ravi Rana – both independent legislators – said they were firm on their plan to recite the Chalisa outside the Thackeray residence on Saturday.

Barricades were also placed on the road leading to `Matoshri’. Angry Shiv Sena workers also began to gather outside Thackeray’s private residence after the announcement made by the legislators.

Ravi Rana told reporters that he had demanded that the Chief Minister read Hanuman Chalisa on Hanuman Jayanti “to rid Maharashtra of crises and attain peace for the state,” but Thackeray refused.

Police were also deployed outside the couple’s house in Khar as Shiv Sena workers gathered to sing bhajans. They also told reporters they wouldn’t allow them to leave their apartment.

Ravi Rana’s demand comes after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s ‘ultimatum’ to the state government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3. The MNS chief had threatened to play Hanuman Chalisa outside the mosques if the demand was not met.

(Vinayak)