The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the removal of loudspeakers from mosques across West Bengal.
The PIL was mentioned before a Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Atarup Banerjee.
TMC MP and Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee informed the high court, “Through oral instructions, all loudspeakers have been removed from all the mosques in West Bengal.”
Speaking to the media on the issue, Banerjee said, “Today, we filed one PIL by Danish Farooqui, an advocate of the Calcutta High Court, challenging the illegal, oral direction of the state to remove loudspeakers from nearly 4,000 mosques in West Bengal.”
“Earlier, a Calcutta High Court division bench presided over by Justice Bhagabati Prasad Banerjee observed that loudspeakers can be used within noise decibel limits at the time of Azaan. Through threats, they (the Suvendu Adhikari government) implement all policies… Therefore, we have filed a PIL and prayed that these loudspeakers be allowed to be used at the time of Azaan within the prescribed sound limit as directed by the high court earlier. The matter will come up for hearing on Thursday,” he added.
Meanwhile, another petition has also been moved in the Calcutta High Court concerning the removal of loudspeakers at religious places.
One Abdul Samad approached the high court seeking permission to organise a rally in Kolkata on Tuesday in protest against the removal of loudspeakers. Permission has been sought for the procession to travel from Rajabazar through Sealdah to Rani Rashmoni Avenue.
Controversy erupted after loudspeakers were removed from places of worship across Bengal earlier this month as part of a police crackdown against noise pollution.
Several mosque committees alleged that they received only verbal instructions from local police stations regarding the removal of loudspeakers.
Khan and Rehman also met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday to highlight the removal of loudspeakers from mosques and ‘delays’ in hearing cases before SIR tribunals.
Earlier, CM Adhikari had defended the removal of loudspeakers and said the state government was only implementing court orders.
He stated that the sound from mosques and temples must remain within their respective premises and should not travel beyond the compound.
The chief minister added that a total of 5,299 loudspeakers had been uninstalled from mosques and temples. Of these, around 4,203 were removed from mosques and 1,096 from temples.
He stated that the police had been instructed not to act forcefully and claimed mosque committees cooperated with the administration.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage. Experience Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness. Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances. Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including: State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies. Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues. Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
