Raj Thackeray urges PM Modi to bring Uniform Civil Code

New Delhi, May 22: Maharashtra Navnirmal Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement the Uniform Civil Code at the earliest and request to bring a law on the population control.

Speaking at a rally, Thackeray said, "I request the Prime Minister to bring Uniform Civil Code at the earliest, also bring a law on population control and change the name of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar." He attended the event two days after postponing the Ayodhya visit.

"I intentionally gave the statement to allow everyone to give their reactions. Those who were against my Ayodhya visit were trying to trap me, but I decided not to fall into this controversy," he said on postponing his trip.

On the Hanuman Chalisa row, Thackeray claimed that he had urged his party workers to play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques only if the government failed to do away with the illegal loudspeakers from mosques. "But the Rana couple wanted to go to Matoshree and recite Hanuman Chalisa. Why? Is Matoshree a mosque? And then after all this, the couple were seen eating together with Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut," Raj Thackeray stated.

"After I asked my workers to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers, the Rana couple (Ravi&Navneet Rana) said they will recite Hanuman Chalisa at Matoshree. Is Matoshree a mosque? Everyone knows what happened between Shiv Sainiks and the Rana couple later," the MNS chief said, stating that the couple had food with Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut.

The MNS chief has been at the centre stage of the loudspeakers row in Maharashtra. The controversy started after Thackeray on April 12 gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3, failing which, he warned, MNS workers will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers.

A case was filed against Raj Thackeray when he appealed to people to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers in the areas where loudspeakers are used for 'Azaan'.