Ahead of MNS chief Raj Thackeray's May 1 rally in Aurangabad, AIMIM MP and Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel tells The Indian Express that the issue of loudspeakers in mosques is not a major one for the Muslim community. Excerpts from the interview: IE: The AIMIM has been silent so far on the loudspeaker issue. Imtiaz Jaleel: I am not maintaining silence. What I am saying is that the Supreme Court ruling in case of loudspeaker use for azaan should be implemented strictly. Unfortunately, the issue is being made into a political one. Some political parties want to have their own way. We want the police and the administration to strictly implement the Supreme Court ruling on loudspeakers atop mosques, not at the diktat of political parties. IE: How crucial are these loudspeakers for azaan? Imtiaz Jaleel: Azaan is an invitation for Muslims to come and pray in mosques. But here I would like to stress that scores of mosques in the state are strictly following the norms laid down by the Supreme Court regarding the use of loudspeakers for azaan. If any mosque is not following the norm, police should act against it. The Muslim community is open to changes and we have already brought in several changes within our fold. But political parties should not be performing the role of the police or administration. The police and administration should visit mosques and themselves check the decibel level of loudspeakers. If they are found violating the norms, then action should be taking against them as per the law. Police should ensure that proper permission has been taken by mosques for the use of loudspeakers. It is not a big issue at all for the community. We are abiding by the rules and laws in force in the country. Let the law take its own course. If some political parties want to make it a big issue, it is their problem. They should not be allowed to dictate terms for their personal gains. We know why they are doing what they are doing. IE: Do you think the state government has handled the issue effectively so far? Imtiaz Jaleel: No. Some sort of political game is being played out in Maharashtra. The NCP is hand-in-glove with the MNS. NCP wants to cut the Shiv Sena down to size, it wants to become a bigger player. The NCP has a home minister. it could have allotted the MNS chief a separate venue for holding the rally. But NCP deliberately allotted the MNS a venue of their convenience. IE: What about the Shiv Sena? Imtiaz Jaleel: BJP and Shiv Sena are two sides of the same coin. They have brought in caste and communal politics in the country. Both parties have spread bitterness between people of two communities in the past and are doing the same now. BJP and Shiv Sena were in power from 2014 to 2019. Why didn't the BJP bring in the loudspeaker issue to the fore then? Now that the BJP is out of power, it is playing politics for the sake of playing politics and unnecessarily trying to disturb peace in the country. BJP, Shiv Sena and MNS are vying for Hindutva votes. And in the process, they have found a punching bag in the form of the Muslim community. Every now and then, they try to target the Muslim community, be it on the issue of hijab or on azaan. But the Muslim community is observing utmost restraint. We know what is going on is simply politics and an attempt to provoke us. We will not play into the hands of political parties that have a devious plan. We will continue to observe restraint for the sake of people of this country. We are law-abiding citizens and we will continue to follow the law of the land. IE: You invited Raj Thackery for an iftaar? Imtiaz Jaleel: Every citizen in Aurangabad wants peace. The trading community, especially, is gripped with fear ahead of the May 1 rally. Therefore, I extended an invitation to Raj Thackeray for an iftaar to send out a message of peace and goodwill all around. For the traders and shopkeepers and aam aadmi, Ramzan brings happy tidings in the form of good earnings. They are worried that if such an atmosphere remains, they will have to incur losses. During Diwali and other Hindu festivals, I celebrate the festival with our Hindu brethren. Similarly, I urged Raj Thackeray to join our iftaar.”
