india

Updated: May 16, 2019 18:16 IST

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Wednesday denied reports which said that ‘Gayatri Mantra’ is mandatory to be played in labour rooms of medical centres.

“These are just rumours. I was informed about the issue earlier too. This was just to create a good environment in the labour room and to give relief to mothers delivering a child. This is not mandatory. Some people are relating it with religion and trying to make it an unnecessary issue,” Sharma told ANI.

He also said the state’s health department will not recommend playing ‘Gayatri Mantra’ as an official policy.

“This was not the government’s decision. It was cleared before that government will not take any action that hurts someone’s religious sentiments,” he affirmed.

Reports said that a group of Muslims in the state objected to the playing of ‘Gayatri Mantra’ in labour rooms. They reportedly claimed that it was against Islam as a Muslim newborn should hear Azaan, not ‘Gayatri Mantra’.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)