Pune: NCP for joint Hanuman Jayanti celebrations and iftar party, MNS to recite Hanuman Chalisa
Days after senior leaders of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took a swipe at each other over allegedly indulging in politics in the name of caste and religion, the local units of both parties are all set to engage in a show of strength in line with their respective stand.
Activists of the MNS will recite the Hanuman Chalisa at a Hanuman temple on Kumthekar Road in the old city area of Pune on Saturday on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. The NCP, meanwhile, has decided to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti and hold an iftar party at the same time on the same day.
Party chief Raj Thackeray would offer prayers and perform a maha arti at the temple on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on Saturday, sources said. MNS general secretary Ajay Shinde has organised the maha arti at Khalkar Chowk. “The MNS chief will arrive for maha arti at 6 pm and after that the Hanuman Chalisa will be recited by the group,” Shinde said.
The party has been threatening to launch a state-wide agitation and play the Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the Maharashtra government failed to act against loudspeakers used at mosques by May 3. It also accused the NCP of indulging in caste-based politics.
Thackeray’s statement on April 2, in which he said his party men would play the Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques, had led several Muslim members of the MNS to quit the party. Vasant More, who was last year appointed as the party’s city unit chief, had publicly declared that he would not comply with Thackeray’s direction after which he was replaced by Sainath Babar as the new city chief of the MNS. More, however, chose to remain within the party even as other political parties extended him an invitation.
Thackeray had later defended the MNS stand saying it was not a communal issue but a social one as those who practised other faiths were forced to listen to the prayers recited at mosques every day. He said the MNS stand was welcomed by many across the country, and added the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress disagreed with the party on this issue as they wished to restrict all festivals and rituals of the Hindu community.
More has communicated that he would be attending all of Thackeray’s functions in the city. He had earlier stated that he was loyal to Thackeray and MNS so he would not quit the party.
Meanwhile, the Pune city NCP unit has organised a joint function to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti and hold an iftar party at Karvenagar on Saturday which will be attended by state NCP chief Jayant Patil. ” Muslims would do aarti of Lord Hanuman on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, while Hindus will organise an iftar party for Muslims at the same time,” said city NCP spokesperson Pradeep Deshmukh.
State NCP secretary Ravindra Malvadkar has organised an iftar party at another temple in the heart of Pune. “It is not a new initiative. We have been doing so to maintain religious harmony among citizens of different communities. Muslim members of the NCP will break their fast today at the Rashtriya Hanuman Mandir near Sakhali Pir Talim,” Malvadkar said.
