Over 400 loudspeakers from various communities’ religious sites in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, have been taken down by the local government in the last two days, prompting criticism from Muslim religious leaders.
As per the directives of the state government, a police official stated that during the past 48 hours, 437 loudspeakers were taken out of 258 places of worship in the city, such as mosques, gurudwaras, and temples.
Mohammad Ishrat Ali, the Shahar Qazi of Indore, led a delegation that met with Ashish Singh, the Indore Collector, to voice his concerns about the decision and to demand that loudspeakers be used within the permitted noise limit.
“Be it temples or mosques, loudspeakers have been removed from all the religious places in the city. We demand loudspeakers be allowed in religious places within the permissible noise limit as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court,” news agency PTI quoted Ali as saying.
He further said that people complain about DJs playing loud music at weddings and functions, and in such a situation, DJs should also be banned. “Why are restrictions being imposed on loudspeakers only in religious places?” he added.
However, collector Singh said loudspeakers had been removed on the state government’s instructions, and everyone must follow the directive.
Shortly after taking office in December 2023, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav issued an order prohibiting loudspeakers and DJs from playing music at religious events and public spaces at volumes higher than the permitted limits throughout the state.
In line with the directive from the Chief Minister, loudspeakers, DJs, and the like may only be utilized in public spaces and religious places in compliance with the established guidelines, as well as the Noise Control Act, the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, and the rulings of the Supreme Court and the High Court.
Additionally, the state government established flying squads in each district to monitor loudspeaker usage and noise pollution.
