Politics over Hanuman Chalisa heated up in Maharashtra on Friday with state minister Aaditya Thackeray saying loudspeakers should be used to create awareness among people about reasons behind rising prices of essential items, while independent MLA Ravi Rana asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to recite the devotional hymns at his residence on Saturday.

It all started when MNS president Raj Thackeray raised the issue of high-decibel loudspeakers atop mosques. Raj Thackeray has demanded removal of loudspeakers atop mosques before May 3 and warned the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government that MNS workers will play Hanuman Chalisa, a collection of devotional hymns dedicated to Lord Hanuman, in front of mosques if his demand was not met by the deadline.