Raj Thackeray to hold mega rally in Aurangabad today to mark Maharashtra Day

Amid the ongoing loudspeaker row, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is set to hold his much-awaited mega rally in Aurangabad's Marathwada Sanskrutik Mandal on Sunday– May 1- which is observed as Maharashtra Day. 

The MNS chief last month tried to corner the Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra by demanding that loudspeakers on mosques be removed, and threatened to play the 'Hanuman Chalisa' in front of mosques at a louder volume if the demand was not met.

The state's 62 Foundation Day celebrations on May 1 are set to take a politically charged tone with parties having scheduled several events across the state.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will speak in a virtual conference organised by the Marathi daily Loksatta in the afternoon, while leader of opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to hold a 'Booster Dose' rally at Somaiya ground in Mumbai, that's being seen as the launch of the campaign for upcoming elections to civic bodies.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief and Dr BR Ambedkar's grandson, Prakash Ambedkar, has announced peace marches across the state to "protest attempts to communalise the atmosphere in the state". A number of personalities from Marathi literature, theatre and social circles are expected to join the marches.