*ISLAMABAD: Pakistan condemned on Tuesday “deeply disturbing” anti-Azaanmeasures taken in India’s Karnataka state.*
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office in a statement said that, “Pakistancondemns in the strongest possible terms the highly deplorable incidentsinvolving playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu devotional songs onloudspeakers as a counter to the Muslims’ call to prayer (Azaan) at variousmosques in Karnataka.”
He said the disturbing incidents occurred only a day after the head of SriRam Sena, a right-wing Hindu group, made a despicable call for “drowning”Azaan through the provocative playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindureligious hymns.
“It is condemnable that a reprehensible so-called “Azan se Azaadi’ campaignhas been launched by Hindu fanatic groups in Karnataka which lays bare thenew level of religious radicalism in the BJP-ruled India,” the spokespersonadded.
He noted with deep regret that loudspeakers were being removed from mosquesacross various states in India under the pretext of ensuring ‘communalharmony’. “The ‘othering’ of Muslims in India and exclusionary policiesaimed at denying their fundamental right to profess and practice theirreligion, only expose the deep-seated anti-Muslim prejudices in the Indianstate and society,” he maintained.
Read Top Stories
The spokesperson called upon the Indian government to transparentlyinvestigate the incidents of widespread violence against minorities,particularly Muslims, and their places of worship and take measures to stopsuch incidents from recurring in the future.
“The Government of India must ensure the safety, security and well-being ofminorities,” he added.
