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CM proposes peace meetings amid rising communal tensions
Aiming to resolve the contentious issues “harmoniously”, the chief minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that peace meetings among members of different communities would be held at the police station level to resolve such matters
Aiming to resolve the contentious issues “harmoniously”, the chief minister (CM) Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that peace meetings among members of different communities would be held at the police station level to resolve such matters.
“There is a high court order on Azaan. A circular has already been issued in accordance with that. The rule also specifies the decibel level. The deputy general of police (DGP) Praveen Sood has already issued the circular,” Bommai said on Friday in Kalaburagi.
His statements come at a time when right-wing groups have been threatening to intensify their campaign to target loudspeakers used at the time of Azaan and countering the same by encouraging and provoking more people to play the Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu religious songs.
The state has been making headlines recently with increasing number of communal clashes being reported across several districts.
The raking up of tensions was reinvigorated by increasing instances of moral policing since Bommai’s ascent to the top chair in July last year and has since manifested into demands to ban the hijab in education institutions, boycotting halal meat and calling for restrictions on Muslims from taking part in temple fairs and festivals as well as the appeal to the larger Hindu community not to do any kind of business with the minorities.
Pramod Muthalik, a radical right-wing leader of the Sri Rama Sene on Friday said that the police and government should act against loudspeakers or there will be in a conflict with the Hindus.
“If they (authorities) do not act by May 1, then on May 9 at 5 am, we will start playing Hindu bhajans and other songs on loudspeakers,” Muthalik said.
“I will tell the police department that if you come to seize them (speakers installed by Hindus), there will be a big conflict. First go to masjids and pull down their speakers and then come to our temples,” Muthalik said.
Bommai has been accused of turning a blind eye on campaigns like these as a deflection away from the constant infighting within the government and the lack of development programmes and welfare schemes.
While the Congress has kept its distance from these controversies, the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) have maintained a constant stand on the issue which promises electoral dividends by diversifying their support base.
“They act like they (right-wing groups) are the ones who will build Hindu rashtra. Are we not Ram devotees? Don’t we do puja or do only they have taken up this contract?,”HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and JD(S) leader said on Friday.
“People who give provocative statements and speeches. First put them in Jail and shut them up,” he said.Why do anything which brings a bad impact on our religions, the former CM said.
