MUMBAI: Pandurang Sakpal, a Shiv Sena functionary, made an announcement on Monday over organising an “azan recitation competition for children” only to backtrack a few hours later to say it was only a suggestion made to Muslim members of the party.
In a video of Sakpal’s interview to a local website, which has gone viral, he is seen saying, “We will organise an azan recitation competition for children. A winner among the participants with a good voice and proper pronunciations would be selected by the maulanas.” Sakpal, vibhag pramukh from south Mumbai, is also seen saying he likes to listen to the azan as he lives near a mosque.
Coming down heavily on the Sena over the issue, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “Sena has nothing to do with Hindutva now. Sena had always been against loudspeakers on mosques but the party has forgotten everything and adopted a new Hindutva.”
Responding to the reaction, Sakpal told TOI he had no intention to organise any azan competition. “The information is incorrect. It was just a suggestion made for a few Muslim party functionaries, to conduct an online azan recitation competition so that children may sit at home, instead of roaming out without wearing a mask amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
BJP has been targeting the Sena over Hindutva ever since the latter formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi by joining hands with the Congress and NCP, known for their secular ideologies.
A few days ago, BJP alleged that Sena’s Hindutva has got “adulterated”. While reacting to BJP, Sena president, CM Uddhav Thackeray, in an interview with Saamna, said Hindutva is not like a “dhoti” to be unwrapped from the body, it runs through the veins and lungs in the body.