A first information report was filed against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday for delivering a provocative speech and instigating his supporters in Aurangabad on May 1, The Indian Express reported.

Addressing a public rally on May 1, Thackeray had said that if loudspeakers were not removed from mosques in the state, he would ask his party members to play Hanuman Chalisa there. “I won’t be responsible for what all happens after the May 3 deadline to remove the loudspeakers from the mosques,” he warned.

Thackeray had first made the demand to remove the loudspeakers on April 2. Since then, he and members of the Bharatiya Janata Party have repeatedly asked the Maharashtra government to ban loudspeakers at mosques.

On Tuesday, he along with the organiser of the Aurangabad rally, Rajiv Jawalikar, were booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 116 (abetment), 117 (whoever abets the commission of an offence by the public generally or by any number or class of persons exceeding ten) and 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), The Indian Express reported.

The Mumbai Police also seized loudspeakers from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena office in the city.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Police chief Rajnish Seth had said that the Aurangabad Police commissioner was likely to take action against Thackeray, PTI reported. “He is looking at the videos of Raj Thackeray’s rally and if he finds anything wrong in it then he will take action today itself,” he had said.

He told NDTV that the police were on alert in case a law and order situation was to arise in the state.

“The police are prepared for any law and order situation,” he said. “Strict action will be taken against those who disturb law and order.”

All police leaves were cancelled as well, said Seth.

“Eighty-seven companies of State Reserve Police Force and 30,000 home guards have been deployed across the state,” he told NDTV. “I appeal to everyone to maintain peace.”

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil held a review meeting on Tuesday morning about the law and order situation ahead of the May 3 deadline set by Thackeray to remove the loudspeakers, PTI reported.

“Maharashtra Police are capable of handling any kind of law and order situation,” he said. “SRPF [State Reserve Police Force] and Home Guards have been deployed in the state. I appeal [to] everyone to maintain peace.”

As a pre-emptive measure, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday issued notices to at least 100 people, including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders Nitin Sardesai and Bala Nandgaonkar, under Section 149 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This prevents a person from committing a cognisable offence.

Preventive action has been taken against more than 15,000 people in the state under various sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Maharashtra Police Act, the state’s director general of police said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said that the loudspeaker controversy was an effort to divert citizens’ attention from the BJP-led government’s failure in tackling inflation and unemployment, PTI reported.

“All these are useless talks,” he said. “This is in order to ensure people don’t think about the Central government’s failure on these issues.”

Non-bailable warrant against Thackeray

Meanwhile, a court in western Maharashtra’s Sangli district issued a non-bailable warrant against Thackeray on April 6 in a 2008 case, The Hindu reported.

In 2008, a court in Kalyan had ordered Thackeray’s arrest after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers had beaten up youngsters appearing for a railway recruitment examination.

The court said that the matter needs to be cleared immediately as the Bombay High Court has ordered clearing of cases pending for over five years.

In accordance to the High Court’s injunction, Thackeray will be arrested by the Mumbai Police and presented before the Sangli court.