BJP minister’s remarks on Azaan highlight rising Islamophobia in India
Lucknow: A fresh row has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after BJP Cabinet Minister Jaiveer Singh targeted the early morning Azaan, drawing accusations of stoking Islamophobia under the guise of “public convenience.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking at a traders’ conference in Shikohabad, Firozabad, Singh complained that loudspeaker broadcasts of the Azaan at 4 AM were disturbing people’s sleep. He claimed that “no one has the right to inconvenience others.”
Opposition leaders condemned the remarks as a direct attack on Muslims. Samajwadi Party leader Ashutosh Verma accused the minister of deliberately singling out Islamic practices, urging leaders to respect India’s religious diversity instead of manufacturing controversy.
Facing backlash, Singh later claimed his comments were not aimed at any religion and insisted the state’s loudspeaker rules were “religion-neutral.”
The controversy has reignited debate over whether state policies genuinely balance religious freedom with public order, or are used to marginalize the Muslim community.
