The government's decision to make azaan, the Muslim prayer call, as part of the background score at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, has irked the BJP. Senior party leader Rajnath Singh on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying India being a "secular nation" should not introduce "religious practices" in the sporting event.
Singh said the "most befitting thing" to represent India's cultural heritage and diversity in the opening and closing ceremonies would have been the "chanting of vedic mantras". It is surprising the government has decided to depict the religious aspect of Indian culture without mentioning the vedic culture, the most ancient and the basic root of most of India's religious sects, he said.
Singh's remarks -- seen as an overt display of the Hindutva card -- comes at a time when the BJP is rather circumspect about the fallout of the much awaited court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute.
The BJP leader asserted that "religion and religious practises should be left as the private domain of the players". Introducing religious practices in the Commonwealth Games would not only be uncalled for but will be a departure from the secular traditions of the Games, he added.
Singh was also unimpressed with the decision of the Group of Ministers to include props of Eid celebrations, qawwali soundtrack and other religious representations at the ceremonies. "I think the government has gone overboard with political angle even in the Games. He said Eid does not fall during the Games and said that "if any religious calender is to be kept in mind, then it should be the Navaratras."
Singh said the government should instead include the national anthem, and national song Vande Mataram at the ceremonies and urged the Prime Minister to intervene.
Source: The Indian Express