MNS Pune city chief sacked by Raj Thackeray for refusing to play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques

A day after Pune city president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Vasant More expressed contrarian views regarding playing of Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques in case of their failure to remove loudspeakers as declared by MNS Chief Raj Thackeray during a rally in Mumbai, he was replaced with a new party president Sainath Babar on Thursday.

More who is an MNS corporator from Katraj in Pune, had on Wednesday said that he would not play Hanuman Chalisa in front of the mosques in his ward as he had excellent equations with the Muslim community and had constructed a big graveyard and hall for them in his constituency.

“Many Muslims have voted for me during the election. I am a corporator for past 15 years and I have very good equations with Muslim community where I have ‘khalas, chachas and mamus’ who are my supporters. Many of my Muslim voters from different masjids in my constituency called me and inquired about the MNS chief’s statement. This announcement can turn out to be controversial and can impact our electoral outcomes. Ramzan is going on and I want peace in my constituency,” he said.

“The police called me and asked me about my stand. I will think about peace in my constituency. I have to fight polls again and get reelected and I have to take care of everybody in my constituency,” he added.

The MNS top brass moved swiftly, summoning all MNS office bearers attached to the city unit barring More to Mumbai where Thackeray himself handed over the letter of appointment to sitting Kondhwa MNS corporator Sainath Babar.

The MNS tweeted a photograph of its chief handing over the appointment letter to Babar in Mumbai.

On Thursday, Vasant More said, “Last month the MNS chief had come to Pune and I had told him that I can stay only till May as the city unit president. I don’t have to blame anybody as I have seen that there are MNS workers who don’t want the party to grow. I will remain a loyal MNS worker as I have been associated with saheb for a long time. I have been with the party when it was not even known in the state. The new president is the right person to inherit the mantle and take the party forward. I have got many offers from different political parties but I am not joining any party. I will not quit the party. This is an ideological fight and I am a public representative. I have given my opinion about the entire issue.”

A few months ago, firebrand MNS leader and former PMC corporator Rupali Thombare Patil had quit the party alleging that she was being ‘cornered’ by the party leadership.