Pune NCP protests against MNS Chief in Kondhwa

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staged a public protest on Friday in Kondhwa against MNS Chief Raj Thackeray's statement seeking removal of loudspeakers from mosques during a recent rally in Mumbai. A large number of protestors gathered on the main road following Friday prayers and raised slogans against the MNS Chief for his utterances. A number of prominent muslim community leaders came out in support of the party in the protest demanding action against the MNS President.

NCP City Unit Chief Prashant Jagtap said “The comments of the MNS Chief are divise in nature and he has no particular ideology. He is working as the C team of BJP in Maharashtra and working for the BJP. We condemn his statements made in the Mumbai rally. All the communities including muslims have participated in large numbers in the protest. The dirty politics being played will mark the end of MNS as a political party ,” he said.

The party chief's comments had an impact in Pune where its sitting corporator Vasant More had defied the party chief and said that loudspeakers would not be removed in his ward and he wanted peace in his constituency. More said that he had been able to win elections due to the support of muslim community and wanted to get reelected and would never take steps which would lead to a divide in the society. The very next day, More was replaced by another MNS Corporator Sainath Babar as City Unit chief as More's stand was considered to be contrary to that taken by the party chief.