Right-wing Hindu organizations in Karnataka are intending to broadcast Hindu prayers during azaan in mosques, escalating the tension. Bharath Shetty, a Hindu extremist, announced on Monday that the campaign would begin at 5 a.m. during the hour of azaan, at the Anjaneya temple in Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
This being a sensitive issue, more so as Ramadan has just begun, the police are making elaborate security arrangements. The Hindu organizations are planning to broadcast “Om Namah Shivay”, “Jai Shri Ram” slogans, and other Hindu devotional prayers exactly at the time of azaan (Adhan) in mosques.
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Muslims in India will face difficulties in the upcoming days
The Shri Ram Sena has stated that it had submitted a request to the authorities for stopping the use of loudspeakers at 5 a.m. “The tehsildar and the Pollution Control Board did not take any action on it”, it said.
“We will submit a complaint to the District Commissioners as a last resort. The government should ask the Muslim community to follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court. We do not oppose their prayers. But, we oppose the use of loudspeakers because of which lakhs of people are put to inconvenience,” Shri Ran Sena founder Pramod Muthalik stated.
“Every day at 5 a.m., there will be Ram Bhajans and prayers to Lord Shiva played in temples”, he stated.
Karnataka is in national and international media for the last four months first for a ban on Hijab, then on Muslim traders and recently on Halal food.
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The vandalization of Muslims’ houses by ‘Hindus in India’s Rajasthan
A few days ago, Hindu activists have set houses and other belongings of Muslims on fire in the Indian state of Rajasthan, media reports said.
Anti-Muslim violence broke out after Hindu groups took out a bike rally in the name of celebrating the Hindu New Year through a Muslim locality in Karauli city and raised provoking slogans. Hindutva songs inciting violence against Muslims were also played on speakers during the procession.
The participants of the rally passing through a Muslim-dominated area pelted stones on Muslim houses and burnt their shops and vehicles to ashes. According to the police, as many as 35 people have been injured in the clashes. Mobile internet remained suspended in the area.
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After several shops and vehicles were set on fire, the authorities declared a curfew in the area from 6:30 pm on April 2 to 12 am on April 4. Internet services were suspended as well. The Rajasthan police on Monday arrested 46 people and detained seven others for interrogation following the incident.