UP govt rolls out new set of rules for use of loudspeakers in religious places

|HT|

In the midst of a row over use of loudspeakers for religious activities in Maharashtra, the Uttar Pradesh government has rolled out a new set of rules for the use of loudspeakers by places of worship. The Yogi Adityanath government has issued an order for places of worship - from all religious communities - to the loudspeakers at controlled volumes. According to the new guidelines, loudspeakers playing at a shrine should not go outside the premises. If the said order is violated, the authorities will have a right to remove the loudspeaker from the place of worship in question. The government has also ordered law enforcement officials to conduct a weekly review of the compliance with the rules at the district level and send a first such report by April 30.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the controversy sparked by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, the state government said it would discuss the issue with the centre. "It was decided in the meeting that a delegation will meet the central government and hold discussions over a solution to this issue (loudspeaker row in the state)," state minister Aaditya Thackeray told reporters on Monday.

The decision to limit the use of loudspeakers for religious purposes by the UP government comes as several states reported incidents of violence during the religious processions on the occasions of Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti. In Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, incidents of stone-pelting and vehicles being set on fire were reported on April 16. Eight police personnel and a civilian were injured in the clashes that took place on Hanuman Jayanti. As per the latest information, over 20 accused, including a man who opened fire and another who supplied the weapon, have been arrested by the Delhi Police.

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