The message was unique in itself; what made it more so was that it was penned by a Shiv Sainik. Pravin Jethewad’s WhatsApp appeal to Muslims of Maharashtra to ignore provocations by MNS members has not only gone viral but has also received appreciative responses from as far as London. In response to Raj Thackeray’s directions to his followers to play the Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques starting May 4, Jethewad advised Muslims not to bother to resist or counter the MNS chief.

Jethewad, a prominent Shiv Sainik from Nanded, advised Muslims not to bother to resist or counter the MNS chief through speeches, TV debates or social media. Instead, he asked them to hand over CCTV footage of miscreants creating a ruckus outside mosques to the police along with a list of  MNS/BJP “goons”. “Under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra is calm and will remain calm, and we, the coalition government, will protect (sic),” the message read.