Loudspeakers removed from mosques being donated to schools, hospitals: Adityanath 

NEW DELHI: Loudspeakers at mosques in Uttar Pradesh have either turned down their volume or been removed, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday and added the uninstalled public address systems are being donated to schools and hospitals.

The chief minister further said there were no riots in the BJP-ruled state during and after the recent assembly polls.

Virtually addressing a media conclave organised by RSS-linked weeklies 'Panchjanya' and 'Organiser', Adityanath said, "In many states there were riots after the elections were over. There were no riots in UP during or after the elections. After the formation of the government, Ram Navami was celebrated with fervour. Hanuman Jayanti celebrations passed off peacefully. This is the same UP where small issues led to riots earlier," he said.

"Now, you must have seen for the first time that Eid Namaz was not performed on roads. Now, you must have heard that either the volume of the mosque loudspeaker has gone down or the loudspeaker has been removed completely. Now these loudspeakers are being donated to schools and hospitals for their use," Adityanath said.

Talking about the issue of stray cattle in the state, he listed several steps taken by the government to deal with it.

"...when our government came to power in the state, it shut down all illegal slaughterhouses. And then stray cattle were roaming on roads and in the fields. Earlier they were smuggled into illegal slaughterhouses. To meet this challenge, we set up over 5,600 stray cattle shelters," he said.

He said a new system is being set up for producing CNG from cow dung, which will be bought from people at Re 1 per kg, Adityanath said, adding that all necessary steps will be taken to protect cows.

He also talked about the grand Ram temple being built in Ayodhya and the renovated Kashi Vishwanath temple complex.

In every assembly constituency in the state, the government is developing a pilgrimage site, he said.

He also spoke about the economic progress of Uttar Pradesh under the "double engine" government -- same party rule at the Centre and in the state.