The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the removal of illegal loudspeakers from religious places in the state ahead of Eid. The move comes days after CM Yogi Adityanath’s directive for restricting the volume of loudspeakers at religious places in order to avoid trouble for people living nearby.
The district authorities have been asked to submit a compliance report in this regard by April 30. The government has also asked the Police to coordinate with religious leaders and get the orders implemented.
Meanwhile, the ongoing drive against illegal loudspeakers and checking the volume of loudspeakers playing above the permissible limit has met with considerable success. Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Prashant Kumar on Monday said that so far 128 loudspeakers have been brought down, and around 17,000 people have themselves reduced the volume of such devices.
In a show of communal harmony, the biggest temple and mosque in Badagaon in the Jhansi district have taken down the loudspeakers from their respective premises. Ram Janki temple and Sunni Jama Masjid, both located in Gandhi chowk locality a few meters away from each other, decided to bring down the loudspeakers
SDM Sanya Chhabra said that a meeting of Peace Committee was held and both the parties decided to remove loudspeakers.
UP government has been claiming that drive is not focused on any particular religion. Loudspeaker volumes at key temples like the Mathura Krishna janamsthan and Gorakhnath temple have also been lowered.
Last week, Chief Minister Adityanath had directed that no religious procession should be taken out without permission and that usage of loudspeakers should not inconvenience others. With Eid and Akshaya Tritiya likely to fall on the same day next month and several other festivals lined up in the coming days, Adityanath said the police need to be extra cautious.
During a review meeting on law and order with senior officials here last week, he said everyone has the freedom to follow his/her method of worship according to his/her religious ideology. “Although microphones can be used, make sure the sound does not come out of any premises. Other people should not face any problem,” he had said, adding that no permission should be given to install loudspeakers at new sites.
Meanwhile, speaking about the security arrangements for Eid, the ADG (law and order) said that alvida namaz’ (offering prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan) will be held at 31,000 places (in the state). Special arrangements have been made for sensitive districts, and additional forces, including the PAC and central armed paramilitary forces, have been deployed, he said, adding that meetings of the peace committees have also been held.
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