Mumbai’s Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mohit Kamboj started distributing loudspeakers to temples on the occasion of Hanuman Janmotsav on 16th April 2022. Kamboj said that more than 1,000 loudspeakers will be distributed in temples in the state on the occasion of Hanuman Janmotsav. He has also invited applications for the same from the entire country. He said that the applications will be scrutinized and then the temples will be given a loudspeaker.
Though the main distribution program of loudspeakers started today, Mohit Kamboj had given the first loudspeaker on 14th April 2022. While giving a loudspeaker to a temple in Mumbai, he had tweeted, “Today, LoudSpeaker distribution started! The first loudspeaker is given to Shri Ghanteshwar Hanuman Temple 11th lane, Madhu Park, Khar (West), Mumbai. Siyavar Ramchandra ki Jai. Will give loudspeakers to other temples from 16th April Hanuman Jayanti.”
आज से LoudSpeaker बताना चालू किया !
— Mohit Kamboj Bharatiya – मोहित कंबोज भारतीय (@mohitbharatiya_) April 14, 2022
श्री घंटेश्वर हनुमान मंदिर
11वां रास्ता, मधु पार्क, खार (पश्चिम), मुंबई
में पहला Loud Speaker दिया !
बोलो सियावर रामचंद्र की जय….
बाक़ी मंदिरों को 📢 16 April हनुमान जयंती से भेजना चालू होगा !
जय श्री राम – जय श्री राम pic.twitter.com/Ssv5ppkYVk
Reportedly, the loudspeaker distribution program by Mohit Kamboj has already received more then 9,500 applications from temples across the country. The BJP leader had announced the program on Navaratri, and after that had invited applications from temples through WhatsApp.
On April 13, he had posted a photograph showing dozens of boxes with loudspeakers and amplifiers kept ready for distribution to temples. A label with his photograph, name and the caption Jai Shri Ram can be seen pasted on the boxes.
तैयारी चल रही हैं !
— Mohit Kamboj Bharatiya – मोहित कंबोज भारतीय (@mohitbharatiya_) April 13, 2022
बोलो सियावर रामचंद्र की जय….
Loudspeaker की ऐप्लिकेशन मेरे को आए हैं ,
मंदिरों को 16 April हनुमान जयंती से भेजना चालू होगा !
हम सिर्फ़ मंदिर को LoudSpeaker देने वाले है , ऐप्लिकेशन की जांच कर के बाद !
हिन्दू एकता ज़िंदाबाद !
जय श्री राम – जय श्री राम pic.twitter.com/ZI03LalQh3
In an interview with Aaj Tak, Mohit Kamboj said, “We have started distributing the loudspeakers in Mumbai today. We are giving loudspeakers to those temples that have requested us to provide one. We don’t intend to achieve anything through this. The devotees who visit the temples want to listen to the praise of the deities, various bhajans, etc. Even the priests wish that there must be a recitation of Hanuman Chalisa and other different hymns and songs praising different deities. So we are giving them these loudspeakers free of cost.”
Mohit Kamboj further said, “While setting up the loudspeakers on those temples we will make sure that the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court are followed. We will also make sure that the decibel level is set within the allowed limits and proper permissions are taken. Songs praising deities will be played.”
Mohit Kamboj clarified that the loudspeaker distribution program is his personal effort and the party has no role in it. He said, “This is my individual effort and I am taking it ahead. I got support from people to bear the expenses for this. The people are also helping my foundation. Some of my friends have also helped me with this. Thousands of temples have requested us to get a loudspeaker. The initial distribution will take place only in Mumbai and Maharashtra.”
About loudspeakers fitted on Madrassas and mosques, Mohit Kamboj said, “A loudspeaker in a Madrassa is illegal in the first place. Even the loudspeakers fitted in mosques that do not follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court, whose sound penetrates one kilometer inside the MHADA buildings and the BDD chawls and slums; government must take action against those. Either the government of Maharashtra should legalize it or the government must order them to follow the guidelines of the Supreme court.”
About Raj Thackeray’s stand on the Azaan row, Mohit Kamboj said, “That is the stand of Raj Thackeray and his party. But talking in legal terms, he has said a very good thing that this is not a fight between two religions but it is a fight for a social cause. Today Azaan is given five times a day from loudspeakers in a volume loud enough to break the rules set up by the guidelines of the Supreme Court. So Raj Thackeray has said that either the noise should be reduced or the loudspeakers should be removed. I am of the opinion that one must follow the rules even if he wants to use a loudspeaker. No one here is against anybody’s religion. Every religion has its own prayer practices and those shall be maintained. But that should not cause any inconvenience to other people. We must bring the mosques within the periphery of the guidelines of the Supreme Court.”
महाराष्ट्र में आज से शुरू मंदिरों में लाउडस्पीकरों का वितरण..देखिए भाजपा नेता @mohitbharatiya_ के साथ आजतक संवाददाता पंकज उपाध्याय की ख़ास बातचीत#ReporterDiary (@pankajcreates) pic.twitter.com/lDz4ias0GD
— AajTak (@aajtak) April 16, 2022
Mohit Kamboj further said, “Talking about Madrassas, I am not mentioning schools here. Yes, there are loudspeakers in some schools but schools are never so closely located. On the other hand, if a small enclosed area has three mosques and 45 madrassas, and every one of them is having a loudspeaker operating simultaneously then imagine the kind of noise it creates. So this is wrong and the state government must act against it.”
On being asked about the law and order problem that could be caused by the loudspeaker distribution, Mohit Kamboj said, “If someone says that this is a law and order problem and we are intending to disturb the peace and harmony in the society then the government must revisit its ideology. When Balasaheb Thackeray would bat for a Maha Arti program in 1995, at that time, did Uddhav Thackeray do the peace talks? Today he is the chief minister and quotes the Congress-type things because his ideology has become secular. Which ideology does he subscribe to right now?”
सब लोग जो loudspeaker के लिए निवेदन कर रहे है , उनसे अनुरोध है की यह फ़ॉर्म भर के भेज दे , जिससे मुझे भेजने में सुविधा हो जाएगी !
— Mohit Kamboj Bharatiya – मोहित कंबोज भारतीय (@mohitbharatiya_) April 9, 2022
प्रभु श्री राम की कृपा से हज़ारों लोगों का निवेदन आ रहा है , लेकिन यह सिर्फ़ मंदिरो के लिए है ,इस लिए यह जानकारी ज़रूरी हैं !
हिन्दू एकता ज़िंदाबाद ! pic.twitter.com/LQQihIxgir
Mohit Kamboj also said that the azaan row is a social problem. He said, “Leave aside the ideology. This is a social cause. Today, if such big loudspeakers are there in the vicinity of the hospitals; like there is Behrampada area near the Asian hospital, there is Nargis Dutt Nagar near the Leelawati hospital, there is the mosque of Marine Lines near the Bombay Hospital; don’t the patients there get troubled due to this? There are school-going students who live in the vicinity of Madrassas. They are also disturbed due to the loudspeakers. So this is a social issue and rather than taking the necessary steps according to the guidelines of the Supreme Court, why this government is talking about the law and order problem.”
Slamming the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for the atrocities on Hindus in Maharashtra, Mohit Kamboj said, “Sadhus were killed in Palghar. while going to attend the Hindu festivals, Hindus are asked where do they come from? What do you want to say? Have they come from Pakistan? If today while living in Mumbai, a city in India, a Mumbaikar is not allowed to go from one area of the city to the other, just to joyfully celebrate his Hindu festival, then what is more atrocious than this? And then FIr is registered against them only. They are the ones against whom action is taken. So this government is not maintaining the law and order but provoking Hindus.”
