By Shankar Raj*
Bengaluru: Karnataka today woke up to a cacophony as right-wing Hindu groups played Hanuman Chalisa and other devotional hymns over loudspeakers at several temples at 5 am as a counter to the Azaan played from mosques at the same time.
Immediately, security agencies were put on high alert and Home Minister Araga Jnanendra ordered the removal of all illegal loudspeakers. He said ‘to control noise pollution, strict measures will be taken according to the court’s order. Everybody must follow court orders strictly. Strict legal action against the culprits will be taken.’
“Related to Azaan, Chief Minister [Basavaraj] Bommai held a meeting with senior officers in Bengaluru and also gave instructions. A 15-day deadline had been given to remove all illegal loudspeakers. According to the Supreme Court verdict, a notice had been issued already. They have to follow that verdict. If they don’t follow that, legal action will be taken against them. I don’t know what they (Sri Ram Sena) are doing, I have just told you what the government is doing.”
Hanuman Chalisa was aired from temples following a call from Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik against loudspeakers at mosques.
Several temples across the state including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, Belgaum, Dharwad and Kalaburagi played devotional songs at 5 am.
Earlier, Muthalik had asked Chief Minister Bommai and Home Minister Jnanendra to show some “guts” by following the footsteps of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who had cracked down on unauthorised loudspeakers from religious places and set the volume of others within permissible limits.
After the religious songs were played over loudspeakers, a few Sri Ram Sene activists were taken into preventive custody to maintain peace and harmony across the state. In Bengaluru, some Hindu activists were detained by police after an altercation near the famous Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Neelasandra.
Earlier in the day, Muthalik, arrived at the Anjaneya Swamy temple in Tripura Bhairavi mutt in Shivarampet in Mysuru before the crack of dawn and offered prayers and played suprabhata on the loudspeaker. He also issued yet another warning as his organization’s workers were detained in Bengaluru.
“I am warning you. Muslim organizations’ stubbornness is causing disharmony Your Prayers and Azaan is disturbing patients in hospitals. It is distracting students and the public. Therefore, you reduce the decibel levels, otherwise, we will act on our own,” he said.
Regarding the arrest of his followers, Muthalik said “Whom are they arresting? They are arresting those devotees who are playing devotional songs in temples. Shame on this BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] government. They are arresting people who perform rituals in temples. Why? You, the BJP government should be ashamed.”
*Shankar Raj is former Editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
