The announcement by South Mumbai Shiv Sena area chief Pandurang Sakpal to hold an azan singing competition on the lines of the Gita singing competition has led to a dispute with the BJP claiming that the party is trying to appease the Muslims.
Attacking the Seine, his longtime ally, the BJP accused him of having given up Hindutva championed by the late Bal Thackeray for the sake of vote bank policy.
“Sakpal has given the Balasaheb Thackeray reference in defending his attempt to appease Muslims. Balasaheb had opposed the use of loudspeakers in masjids for namaz. Today, the party has screwed up with Hindutva for the sake of the vote bank. Sakpal is known to be a close confidant of the Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who has committed himself to the party’s fundamental ideology just to save the government, ”said opposition leader and party leader Pravin Darekar.
The azan singing competition will be held for Muslim students attending the South Mumbai school, Sakpal said. The purpose, said the leader of the Seine, is to encourage the students of the community for the sacred song. He said that azan’s singing sounds melodious and that he has always been inquisitive about it.
“Many students in the community sing azan with great skill. I think the competition is a first try of its kind. It is an age-old tradition among Muslims and no one should oppose it. Azan is as holy as Mahaarati among Hindu citizens, ”he said.
The contest will be organized by the Sena and the prizes will be awarded to the winners after their selection by a jury of maulanas.
Azan is the ritual call to prayer performed by a muezzin from the minaret of a mosque.
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