Chief Imam of Bengaluru’s Jamia Masjid said, ‘We will follow all the SC-issued notices. Similarly, temples should also follow’
Representational image. PTI
Bengaluru: The controversy over ‘azaan’ and use of loudspeakers has been gaining pace in Karnataka for the past few days, amid this, Chief Imam of Bengaluru’s Jamia Masjid – Mohammed Imran Rashadi Thursday said arrangements have been made to keep the sound level within the prescribed limits. He added that the temples, too, should follow the orders.
“We have arranged a device that controls the sound as required so that no problems arise. We will follow all the SC-issued notices. Similarly, temples should also follow,” news agency ANI quoted the Chief Imam of Bengaluru’s Jamia Masjid as saying.
The remark of the Chief Imam comes within a couple of days after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “This is a high court order. It’s not forced. Everything has to be done by talking and explaining to people.”
The Chief Minister further clarified that the order was not only for ‘azaan’ but was for all loudspeakers. “So, we will take a call,” he added.
Karnataka Health Minister Sudhakar K said, “This (Azaan loudspeaker issue) has been settled by the law, and Supreme Court has already given the direction. Noise pollution is also one of the facets of loudspeakers being used for Azaan.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) said, “Everyone should follow High Court’s order, but it’s awful if such issues (Azaan issue) are brought up merely for the political purpose of polarisation, while creating communal fissures in society. It’ll be adversarial both socially and economically.”
Last year, the Karnataka High Court had curbed the use of loudspeakers in religious places across the state.
On Monday, 4 April 2022, Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa had said that a solution should be worked upon to address the concerns over the use of loudspeakers in mosques in the state.
Eshwarappa also reacted to Maharashtra Nirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s comments on the use of loudspeakers in mosques and said, “The attempts by Raj Thackeray or Sri Rama Sene against the use of loudspeakers at mosques have to be naturally done by taking the Muslim community into confidence. There have been complaints for a long time that it disturbs students and patients during morning and evening hours.”
He further said, “This is not a competition for us to play Hanuman Chalisa loudly on speakers to counter them. I have no objections to you (Muslims) offering prayer but because of your using loudspeakers, if prayers are offered at temples and churches also in a similar way, it will lead to conflict between communities.”
For the unversed, an order was issued by the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf to all the mosques and dargahs (mausoleums) in the state last year in March where the use of loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am during Azaan was prohibited.
How and where Azaan row started
The ‘azaan’ row, started in Maharashtra, where on Sunday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray warned that though he is not against any religion, he will ask workers of his party to play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques if the state government does not remove loudspeakers that are put outside mosques.
With inputs from agencies
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