Use speakers within mosques, loudspeakers outside disturb students, patients: K’taka Minister

🗞️ Subscribe Now: Get Express Premium to access the best Election reporting and analysis 🗞️

“If this is not stopped, there will be speakers outside mosques playing Hanuman Chalisa at higher volume,” he had said in Mumbai.

Stating that it is not a competition to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers to counter its use at mosques, and that it may lead to conflict between communities, Eshwarappa advised Muslim leaders to see to it that speakers are limited to their places of worship and don’t disturb people living in surrounding areas.

“The attempts by Raj Thackeray or Sri Rama Sene against the use of loudspeakers at mosques, has 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,” Eshwarappa said.

Speaking to reporters, he said the Muslim community have for long been following the tradition of using loudspeakers to call for prayer, but it is disturbing students, including their children and patients.

“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,” he said, adding that in his opinion, it will be good if Muslim community leaders to think about it and use speakers within the mosques, in a way it doesn’t disturb others.

Editor's Choice

‘History of overlooking history’: Jaishankar says US and Pakistan indulge in ‘politics of convenience’

Florida road crash: Tarn Taran family reacts after social backlash against arrested truck driver Harjinder Singh

‘Not had a US President who conducts foreign policy as publicly as Trump’: Jaishankar hits out at US tariff, says talks on, ‘lines not cut’