Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP leader KS Eshwarappa, who was forced to quit as Deputy Chief Minister of the state after being implicated in a bribery case, taunted the Azaan being given through a loudspeaker, saying 'it means Allah is dead.'
He made the controversial remark while addressing a public gathering, where he appeared annoyed over the Muslim call to prayer being heard from a nearby mosque.
His response to the Azaan was blunt and sacrilegious, going against the beliefs of the Muslim community. The annoyed BJP leader was heard saying that the Azaan gives him a headache wherever he goes. He also added that the Azaan is waiting for the Supreme Court's judgment to end.
During the same gathering, the BJP leader went on to question whether Allah only listens to prayers that are given through loudspeakers during Azaan.
He also pointed out that in temples, women and girls offer prayers and sing bhajans without the use of loudspeakers, despite being equally religious. He opined that using loudspeakers to call for prayers implies that Allah is deaf.
Last year, the Karnataka High Court declined to issue an order against a public interest litigation that raised objections to the Azaan, claiming that it hurt the sentiments of people from other faiths. The High Court rejected the argument that Azaan violated the fundamental rights of those from other faiths and emphasized that tolerance is a characteristic of the Constitution.
Eshwarappa has a reputation for making offensive remarks. He caused a stir earlier when he referred to 18th-century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan as a "Muslim gunda." Last year, he had to step down as a minister following a contractor's suicide. The police had named Eshwarappa in the case, as the contractor had accused him of being "solely responsible" for his death in his final messages.