Azaan V/S Hanuman Chalisa: CM Basavaraj Bommai issues directives to police

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his senior colleagues on the cabinet have taken the face-off between Azaan and Hanuman Chalisa seriously. Particularly when this development could create serious law and order situation. The 45-minute meeting with state home minister ArghaJnanendra, DG of Police Praveen Sood, and Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Panth on Monday, the Chief minister Bommai has directed the state machinery to not to spare anybody who creates law and order situation in the state.

The state machinery must ensure that at all costs the orders given by the Supreme Court must be followed to the last detail. "There are already elaborate guidelines regarding the use of the high decibel loudspeakers given by the High court of Karnataka and the Supreme Court just see that it is carried out without any circumvention" he sternly told the officials. Following CM's directions, the police have hurried back to their officials and have percolated the directions to their subordinate officers at the district level. A circular to this effect has been circulated all over the state.

Giving effect to the order of the CM, the state home minister has given the ultimatum of 15 days to remove all the unauthorised loudspeakers from the minaars of Mosques and if any loudspeakers are being used by the temples that go to blare Azaan or any other religious hymns in the public. "We at the government are not concerned who is employing loudspeakers or which organisation or religious groups that use them, the government want each one of the loudspeakers to be removed within the period, or else they will face action" Home Minister has ruled.