Union minister Ramdas Athawale slammed MNS chief Raj Thackeray over his call for removal of loudspeakers from mosques, and said the MNS leader will not get any political benefit from his "hard stand" on the issue.

Addressing a press conference, the Republican Party of India (A) chief also said the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government "failed" to present its case in the Supreme Court over the OBC quota issue. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Thackeray had earlier given an ultimatum to the state government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3.