Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 18 : Assam BJP leader and MLA-elect Diganta Kalita on Monday called for restricting the use of loudspeakers during Azan, saying the sound has caused disturbance near the Assam Assembly and MLA hostel area.
Speaking to ANI, the BJP MLA-elect from Kamalpur assembly constituency said he was not opposed to Azan but questioned the need for loudspeakers.
"I am not against Azan, but using loudspeakers is not essential. I have been staying here at the MLA hostel for the last five years, and from morning till evening, Azan is performed five times a day using loudspeakers at a mosque near the Assembly and MLA hostel. It has disturbed us," Kalita said.
He further said that he was studying legal provisions and court judgments related to the issue and may raise the matter before the government.
"I am studying the legal judgement on it, and I will raise it before the government also," he added.
In a related statement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also said that people must offer namaz in a regulated manner and that it can be performed in shifts if required, adding that the administration would seek compliance through persuasion, and if that does not work, other methods would be adopted to ensure adherence to public order norms.
In a post shared on X, CM Yogi said, "You have to offer namaz, you can read it during your shift... We'll get you to agree with love, if you don't agree, we'll adopt another method."
CM Yogi also shared a video from a public gathering in Lucknow in which he addressed the issue, saying he is often asked whether namaz is offered on roads in Uttar Pradesh.
"I am often asked whether, in Uttar Pradesh, people really do not offer namaz on the roads. I say clearly that it does not happen at all--go and see for yourself. Roads are meant for movement. Can anyone come and create a spectacle at a crossroads and block traffic? What right does anyone have to disrupt public movement?" he said.
He further added that arrangements can be made in shifts if required, but public inconvenience cannot be allowed.
"Some people told me, 'How will it work, our numbers are large?' We replied that it can be done in shifts. If there is no space at home, then manage the numbers accordingly. Unnecessary crowding should not be increased," the Chief Minister said.
CM Yogi further said that the rule of law applies equally to all citizens and that public spaces cannot be misused.
"The rule of the government is the rule of the law. It applies equally to everyone. Namaz is necessary--you can read it during your shift. We will not stop it, but not on the road," he said.
CM Yogi has, in the past, also maintained that public roads and infrastructure must not be used in a manner that disrupts traffic or daily movement.