The Nationalist Congress Party organised an Iftar party inside a Hanuman Temple in Maharashtra’s Pune to appease the Muslim community ahead of Ramzan.
According to reports, NCP leader Ravindra Malvadkar had organised the Iftar party at Sakhalipeer Talim Rashtriya Maruti Mandir in Pune at 6:30 PM on Friday. The Muslims in attendance broke their fast on Friday by eating prasad on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti organised by the NCP in Pune.
#RavindraMalvadkar, the leader of the #NationalistCongressParty, organises an Iftaar Party for Muslim people in front of the Hanuman Mandir in Pune. He claims that he has been organising it in the city for the past 35 years. pic.twitter.com/zBhXW1gtzM
— Pune Mirror (@ThePuneMirror) April 15, 2022
Speaking to the media, Malvadkar said he has been organising such Iftar parties inside Hindu temples for the last 35 years.
“We have been doing it for the last 35 years, Pawar sahib (Sharad Pawar) has taught us not to become casteist and instead asked us to become a Rashtravaadi,” added Malvadkar.
The NCP leader claimed that they would offer dates to Hindus instead of Modak on the Ganpati festival, which also comes in the month of Ramzan and Muslim people here are offered Modak to break Roza.
The Iftar parties inside Hindu temples by the NCP are being seen as a counter to Raj Thackeray’s recent demand to remove loudspeakers at the mosques.
Responding to Raj Thackeray’s call to remove loudspeakers, the NCP leader said the MNS leader was trying to break the national unity through his appeals, and he should speak on the issues that are concerned common people as they are already facing other issues, such as inflation.
“Raj Thackeray must understand that even God Hanuman used to help people. If in the name of Hanuman, you are chanting Hanuman Chalisa and the communal harmony is being disturbed, then it is not good,” Malvadkar said.
NCP to allow Muslims to do aarti at Hindu temples
Besides, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will also allow Muslims to perform Hanuman aarti in Pune on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on Saturday, April 15. All state-level NCP leaders will be present at the aarti.
The Pune NCP Chief Prashant Jagtap, who has organised the Hindu-Muslim event, claimed that Hindus and Muslims have been staying together for hundreds of years, however, some political parties are trying to disturb the atmosphere, which is not good.
“Everyone prays to Lord Hanuman. Hanuman Jayanti is on Saturday. On this occasion, we’ve organised an aarti by Muslims who are also doing Roza nowadays. The NCP will organise an Iftar party after the Hanuman aarti,” Jagtap said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray is scheduled to visit Pune to attend Maha Aarti at Hanuman temple and will also chant Hanuman Chalisa with MNS workers in the city on Saturday.
Earlier, in his public rally in Thane, he had asked the government to remove loudspeakers from mosques before May 3 and said that his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the government did not take action.
In his Gudi Padwa speech, the firebrand politician Raj Thackeray also said that if the police properly check the mosques and madrasas in the slums of Mumbai, they will get to know many things. He also underlined the changing demographics of Mumbai and other places of Maharashtra and alleged that so many Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh have come and settled here.
Maharashtra unit of Popular front of India issues threats
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra unit of Islamist organization Popular front of India has also joined the row over loudspeakers in mosques. The radical outfit has issued a threat saying that if loudspeakers were removed from the mosques then they won’t spare anyone. A video has appeared on social media in which a member of PFI is seen issuing threats that if loudspeakers are removed from the mosques then there will be tougher situations in the state.
In this video, the PFI member says, “I appeal to Mumbra police that they should maintain the law and order in the same way that they have done till now. Some people are willing to disturb the harmony. They are bothered by azaan and loudspeakers as well as our madrasas and mosques. I have only one message for those people, we want peace. Popular Front of India has a slogan that says every laborer is our brother. Likewise we have other slogans too. The other slogan says don’t provoke us. If you provoke us then we will not spare you. If you try to touch a single madrasa, mosque, or any loudspeaker on any mosque, the PFI will lead the fight from the front.”
Maharashtra | FIR registered by Mumbra Police against Abdul Mateen Sheikhani (of PFI) under IPC section 188 and sections 37(3) and 135 of Maharashtra Police Act for an illegal gathering where he allegedly gave inciting speech: Mumbra Police
— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Mumbra police registered an FIR against Abdul Mateen Sheikhani of PFI under IPC section 188 and sections 37(3) and 135 of Maharashtra Police Act for an illegal gathering where he allegedly gave inciting speech.
