Maharashtra: In a new kind of controversy, the Maharashtra arm of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged the former ally, Shiv Sena, trying to appease Muslims after Sena’s South Mumbai zonal head Pandurang Sakpal announced to hold an azan chanting competition on the lines of Gita chanting competition.

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Taking a dig at the party founded by Bal Thackeray, which advocated Hindutva, the BJP accused Shiv Sena of giving up the primary objective of the founder for the sake of vote bank politics.

“Sakpal has given Balasaheb Thackeray’s reference while advocating his attempt to appease Muslims. Balasaheb had opposed the use of loudspeakers in masjids for namaz. Today, the party has messed up with the Hindutva for the sake of vote bank. Sakpal is known to be a close confidant of Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who has been compromising with the fundamental ideology of the party just to save the government,” said the leader of the opposition and party leader Pravin Darekar said.

According to Sakpal, the azan chanting competition will be held for the school going Muslim students from South Mumbai. In order to encourage the students from the community for the holy chanting. He also said that the azan chanting sounds melodious and he has always been inquisitive about it.

“Many students from the community chant azan very skilfully. I think the competition is the first attempt of its kind. It is an age-old tradition among Muslims and nobody should oppose it. Azan is as holy as Mahaarati among Hindu citizens,” Sakpal said.

The competition will be organised by the Sena and the prizes will be given out to the winners after their selection by a panel of maulanas.

Azan is the call to ritual prayer made by a muezzin from the minaret of a mosque.

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Shiva Sena, a former ally of the BJP in the Maharashtra Assembly elections that were held last year in 2019, won 57 seats while the BJP secured 105 seats. The pre-poll alliance was later broken, on the dispute of the chief minister post between both the parties. Calling for a break in the 25-year old alliance, Uddhav Thackeray led Shiva Sena, joined hands with Sharad Pawar-led NCP which secured 54 seats, and the Congress which bagged 44 seats.