UP temples, mosques remove speakers, lower volume

THE ORDERS CAME IN THE BACKDROP OF VIOLENCE AT THE TIME OF HANUMAN JAYANTI PROCESSION IN DELHI LAST WEEK

AGRA/LUCKNOW: Loudspeakers at temples and mosques across Uttar Pradesh were either removed or their volumes reduced on Wednesday after chief minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath ordered that they be used in a way that doesn’t cause inconvenience to anyone.

On Monday, Adityanath ordered the use of loudspeakers at religious sites in such a manner that the sound is limited to their premises and doesn’t cause inconvenience to anyone.

He also directed authorities to step up vigil across the state to “maintain communal harmony” and “to pre-empt any type of communal flare-up”, a senior official in the home department said.

The chief minister’s orders came in the backdrop of communal clashes in several states after Ram Navmi and Hanuman Jayanti processions.

After the directive, the loudspeaker mounted on the spire of the Shree Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura was not used for the morning prayer on Wednesday.

“Manglacharan aarti is held from 5 am to 6 am every day at Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi. It used to be played on loudspeakers installed on temple premises. The temple committee has decided to enforce the chief minister’s directions,” Kapil Sharma, secretary of

Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, said.

In Gorakhpur, the Gorakhnath Temple trust lowered the volume of the loudspeakers installed on the premises.

The loudspeakers were also repositioned to keep them away from roads and public premises surrounding the temple.the temple is a part of Gorakhnath Math, whose head priest is Adityanath.

“The decision to lower the loudspeaker volume and turn its face away was taken after the CM’S direction,” said Gorakhnath temple trust secretary Dwarka Tiwari.

In Ayodhya too, prominent seers have extended their support to the state government’s initiative to keep a check on loudspeakers.mosques across the state also decided to comply with the order

Likewise, clerics across the state said directions were issued to mosques to limit the sound of loudspeakers in compliance with the state order.

“We welcome the chief minister’s order and we believe that it is a general order. We have directed all mosques here limit the sound of loudspeakers and to ensure that sound doesn’t travel outside the premises,” Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, imam of the Eidgah in Lucknow, said.

Meerut’s nayab (deputy) shahar qazi Zainur Rasheedin Qazi said they have already directed mosques to keep the volume of loudspeakers at minimum to avoid disturbing others.

“Meerut has over 300 mosques and they are following it (the state’s directives),” the nayab qazi said.

In Prayagraj, Maulana Mohsin Taqvi, of Shia Jama Masjid, said: “Use of loudspeakers at high decibels is wrong and unnecessary. We welcome the steps and will adhere to the set norms.”