Loudspeakers not necessary for azaan: Ahmed Patel

Singer Sonu Nigam had on Monday raised questions on the 'azaan' call in the morning and termed it as 'forced religiousness'.

Ahmedabad, Apr 18: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Tuesday said the Quran or Islam never said that 'azaan' has to be delivered through loudspeakers.

"Quran or Islam never said that azaan has to be delivered through loudspeakers. Azaan should be delivered in such a way that others do not get disturbed," Patel told reporters on his arrival at the city airport.

Patel's statement comes a day after playback singer Sonu Nigam raised objections over the use of loudspeakers to broadcast sermons and calls to prayers by mosques, temples and gurudwaras.

Patel, who is the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, also said, "We are living in an era of technology. I am not against the use of loudspeakers. But, we also need to ensure that it does not cause any inconvenience to others."

The Congress leader also took to twitter to express his views over the issue.

"Azaan is an essential ingredient for Namaz. In today's day of modern technology, loudspeakers aren't," he tweeted earlier in the day.

On Monday, in a series of tweets, Nigam had raised questions on the 'azaan' call in the morning, terming it as "forced religiousness".

"God bless everyone. I'm not a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the Azaan in the morning. When will this forced religiousness end in India," Nigam had tweeted. His another tweet said, "And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam. Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?"

He had described as hooliganism the use of loudspeakers to broadcast sermons and calls to prayers by mosques, temples and gurudwaras. "Gundagardi hai bus (it is hooliganism)," he had tweeted.

PTI