Lucknow, March 4: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday criticised the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to remove unauthorised loudspeakers from religious places during Ramzan, urging authorities to treat all religions equally and without bias.

Taking to X, Mayawati wrote, “India is a secular country that respects all religions. In such a situation, the central and state governments should treat the followers of all religions equally without any bias, but the step-motherly attitude being adopted with Muslims even in religious matters is not justified.”

She further stressed that rules regarding restrictions and exemptions for religious festivals should be implemented fairly across all faiths.

“The rules and regulations related to restrictions and exemptions for festivals of all religions should be implemented equally without any bias, which does not seem to be happening,” she stated.

The BSP chief warned that such selective enforcement could disturb peace and harmony in society. “It is natural for peace and harmony in the society to deteriorate due to this, which is a matter of great concern. Governments must pay attention to this,” she added.

Ramzan, which began in India on Sunday, marks a month-long period of fasting and special prayers for Muslims. The celebrations are also underway in several other countries following the sighting of the crescent moon.

Throughout the month, Muslims observe fasts from early morning until sunset and participate in special evening prayers known as Tarawih, where the entire Quran is recited.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh administration has launched a crackdown on loudspeakers exceeding prescribed noise levels at all religious sites.

The police have been strictly enforcing the directive, prompting Muslim religious leaders to demand concessions for the use of loudspeakers during Ramzan.

New Delhi, March 4: The Allahabad High Court will hear the petition related to the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on Tuesday. The case, which has drawn significant attention, will be heard by a bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal at 10 a.m.

The mosque management committee has filed the petition requesting permission to whitewash the mosque premises ahead of Ramzan, a matter that has sparked considerable debate in recent months.

During today’s hearing, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team will submit a report on the cleanliness of the mosque. The ASI was previously directed by the court to inspect the mosque and ensure its cleanliness. In addition, the legal representatives of the mosque committee will file a reply in response to the ASI’s report.

In response to a plea from the mosque management committee, the court had earlier issued a directive on Friday, instructing the ASI to clean the premises of the Shahi Jama Masjid but stopped short of ordering the whitewashing of the mosque before Ramzan. The court also ordered the ASI to appoint a team of three officers to inspect the mosque and submit their findings.

This case remains a focal point of legal, historical, and communal discussions, with its resolution likely to have a significant impact on both the region’s religious dynamics and its legal landscape. The developments will be closely followed by both local communities and legal observers.

The dispute surrounding the mosque stems from a claim that the Shahi Jama Masjid was constructed after the demolition of the historic Harihar Temple, which some believe was located at the same site.

The controversy surrounding the mosque’s origins escalated following a court-ordered survey of the mosque on November 24, 2024. The survey led to violent clashes, with four people losing their lives, further intensifying the sensitive religious and historical dispute.

New Delhi, March 3: The Supreme Court on Monday permitted popular YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia to resume airing his podcast on the condition that he will maintain the “standards of decency and morality”.

Allahbadia and several other YouTubers, including Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Mukhija, have been embroiled in the controversy for vulgar and crass comments made during an episode of Samay Raina’s ‘India’s Got Latent’ show.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh relaxed an earlier condition which had prohibited Allahbadia or his associates from airing any show on YouTube or any other audio/video visual mode of communication till further orders.

During the hearing, the Justice Kant-led Bench asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, to consider regulating the content in online media.

“We don’t want any regulatory regime which leads to censorship, but it can’t be a free for all,” it said.

The apex court clarified that Allahbadia’s shows should not comment upon the proceedings which are sub-judice.

Earlier, on February 18, the top court had stayed Allahbadia’s arrest subject to the condition that he would join the investigation, as and when summoned by the Investigating Officers.

“The interim protection against arrest is granted further subject to the condition that the petitioner will extend full cooperation to the ongoing investigation,” it had ordered.

The Supreme Court had added that no further FIR would be registered against Allahbadia on the basis of the episode aired on the show ‘India’s Got Latent’, for which two-three FIRs have already been registered.

Amid the controversy, Samay Raina had removed all videos of the show from YouTube, asserting that his intention was only to entertain and make people laugh.

Several complaints seeking legal action have been filed against popular YouTubers Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahabadia, Ashish Chanchlani, and Apoorva Mukhija over allegedly obscene and offensive remarks about parents in the comedy show ‘India’s Got Latent’.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the incident has sparked a broader debate about the limits of comedy and the responsibility of content creators on digital platforms.