10-man team patrolling to tackle TikTok craze in Jama Masjid

NEW DELHI: Hourly announcements, notices, and a team of 10 patrolling from dusk to dawn to catch and stop youngsters from recording TikTok videos inside the Jama Masjid premises.

The Jama Masjid administration initiate action in the wake of viral TikTok videos made inside the premise that created an uproar on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

A 10-member team was formed who travel in e-rikshaw to ensure no TikTok videos are not made. Also the administration has been making the hourly announcements about the video-sharing app and movement restrictions have also been introduced with notices that restrict the entry of tourists inside the mosque.

“During prayer time, that is five times a day, namazis and non-namazis can access the two small domes only through the main dome route. We want to restrict the area occupied by people, so we can keep a watch on youngsters making such videos as music is not allowed inside a masjid,” Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, told The Indian Express.

“I know about the TikTok craze amongst youngsters but never before had such videos being shot at Jama Masjid come to my notice. In the last one month, I have been told of at least five such videos. Whether it’s a temple, a mosque or a gurdwara, one cannot behave in this manner. This is a place of worship, it is not meant for such activities,” said Bukhari.

Last month, the Madras High Court had imposed an interim ban on the video mobile application for its “pornographic and inappropriate” content on a plea by Advocate Muthu Kumar.

Owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, TikTok claims that it has over 120 million monthly active users in India.