MNS appoints new Pune city chief after party leader takes different stand on Raj Thackeray's loudspeaker directive

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Thursday appointed a new president for its Pune city unit, days after party leader Vasant More took a different stand on Raj Thackeray's directive demanding removal of loudspeakers from mosques. The party made the announcement about the new appointment on social media, with a photograph of party president Thackeray handing over the appointment letter to party leader Sainath Babar.

More, who was the city unit president, had on Tuesday said that as a party functionary, he has to endorse Thackeray's demand for removal of loudspeakers from mosques, but as a people's representative, he has to take an inclusive approach and it would be difficult for him to implement the diktat in his civic ward. The former corporator, whose term ended a few weeks ago, represented a civic ward with a sizeable Muslim population. Speaking to PTI, More said that he was not asked or informed to resign from the post. "In the MNS, no prior information is given when some appointments are made. A letter of appointment is directly given to that person. In this case, it is clear that Babar has been given the letter, which means that my position as the city unit president is gone (over)," he said. He further said that when he was given the post, the then city unit president Ajay Shinde was not informed. More clarified that he will remain in the party. "I have been asked by party leader Avinash Jadhav to attend Rajsaheb's rally in Thane and I will attend it," he said. Addressing a rally in Mumbai last week, Thackeray had called for shutting down high-decibel loudspeakers atop mosques. Thackeray had said that if such a step was not taken, loudspeakers would be installed outside mosques to play Hanuman Chalisa at a higher volume.