Politics over loudspeakers in mosques is wrong, says union minister Athawale

Union minister Ramdas Athawale objected to the effort to stop mosques from using loudspeakers for azaan, saying it should not be banned

NAGPUR: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday again sought to distance his party from the stand taken by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on use of loudspeakers in mosques, saying there shouldn’t be a bar on the use of loudspeakers for azaan (call for prayers).

Minister of social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale said muslims had been using loudspeakers for azaan for years. (Satish Bate/HT File Photo)

“It is wrong to do politics on loudspeakers in mosques. Muslims have been using it during ‘azaan’ for years and it should not be banned,” union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Athawale told reporters on Tuesday. The union minister’s comments come a day after the Maharashtra government declared that it intends to draft guidelines to restrict the use of loudspeakers in religious places.

Athawale is also chief of the Republican Party of India (A) which has been in alliance with the BJP for years.

Last week, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray amped up the pitch over use of loudspeakers in mosques when he told the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government to pull down loudspeakers in mosques across the state. Raj Thackeray’s shrill demand echoes the Mumbai BJP’s request to the city police to prohibit use of loudspeakers for azaan.

Athawale said there should be harmony between Hindus and Muslims.

“Muslims are our people. They have not come from any foreign countries. Their (Muslims) roots are from Hindus as they converted to Islam,” Athawale said.

Asked about Raj Thackeray’s ultimatum to the government, Athawale said his party was against such action.

He also asked Raj Thackeray not to misuse saffron as it is a symbol of peace. “The demand to remove the loudspeakers from the mosque was cruel,” he said, declaring that “his party will oppose the move” to remove loudspeakers from mosques and coud disturb harmony between the two communities in Maharashtra.