Delhi CM allows use of loudspeakers till midnight during Ramleela, Durga Puja
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has granted a special exemption for using loudspeakers till midnight during Ramleela and Durga Puja celebrations, the Delhi CMO said in a statement on Friday.
The file of the chief minister's approval to use loudspeakers till midnight during the festivals has been sent for Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's nod, the statement said, adding that Ramleela organisers must get permission from the police to ensure that the use of loudspeakers does not violate noise levels in residential areas.
The move comes a day after Kejriwal met a delegation of Luv Kush Ramleela Committee office bearers. In the meeting, Kejriwal was requested by the Ramleela committees to extend the time limit for the use of loudspeakers.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO), in a statement, said, "Loudspeakers will be used during the late-night Ramlila performances." The DDMA's previous directive imposing a ban on the use of loudspeakers after 10 pm has been suspended until further orders, it said.
The statement said the chief minister is committed to ensuring that religious events like Ramleela, Durga Puja, and Dussehra are celebrated with grandeur and convenience.
"In view of this, the chief minister has granted permission for the use of loudspeakers until midnight during Ramleela, Durga Puja and Dussehra celebrations. Previously, loudspeakers were allowed only till 10 pm," it said.
Every year, grand Ramleela performances take place in various parts of Delhi with much fanfare. Additionally, Durga Puja is also celebrated on a large scale. At most places, Ramleela performances continue till midnight.
The exemption on the use of loudspeakers granted by the Chief Minister includes a strong emphasis on adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, such as wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, hand hygiene, and ventilation in enclosed spaces, when granting permission for any event, the statement said.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
