Kolkata, 13 August (H.S.): The Calcutta High Court has sought a response from the West Bengal government on a public interest litigation challenging the alleged removal of loudspeakers from mosques across the state.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Antarup Banerjee directed the state government to clarify by August 18 whether any order has been issued directing the removal of loudspeakers from mosques and whether police personnel have been visiting mosques and allegedly threatening them to stop using loudspeakers.

The PIL was filed on Monday by advocate Kalyan Banerjee. The petitioner alleged that the state government was taking steps to remove loudspeakers from mosques through oral instructions rather than through any written order or official notification.

During Thursday's hearing, Banerjee claimed that nearly 4,000 loudspeakers used for azaan had been removed from mosques across West Bengal. He alleged that police had summoned imams to police stations or contacted them over the phone and pressured them to remove the loudspeakers. He further claimed that police personnel had visited several mosques in connection with the matter.

Banerjee also alleged before the court that, in one instance, police personnel climbed onto the roof of a mosque wearing shoes to remove a loudspeaker. These allegations were made by the petitioner during the court proceedings and have not been independently verified.

The petitioner also referred to existing noise pollution regulations and earlier judicial directions concerning the use of loudspeakers for azaan. He argued that there is no blanket prohibition on the use of loudspeakers between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. provided the prescribed noise norms are followed. According to him, police can take action if noise regulations are violated, but there is no written government order imposing a general ban on the use of loudspeakers.

The division bench questioned the basis of the petitioner's claim that around 4,000 loudspeakers had been removed. The court also asked whether any written order had actually been issued and why the concerned mosques had not approached the administration for permission to use loudspeakers.

Responding to the court, Banerjee maintained that noise regulations are already in force in the state and that police have the authority to act in case of violations. However, he alleged that in several places, police had verbally instructed mosques to stop using or remove loudspeakers despite there being no specific complaints of violations.

He referred to several mosques in the Srirampur, Champdani and Rishra areas and claimed that some mosque authorities had approached the district administration seeking permission to use loudspeakers.

Appearing for the state, Advocate General Surjit Nath Mitra questioned both the maintainability of the PIL and the allegations made by the petitioner. He argued that the petition did not identify any specific police station, mosque or police officer allegedly involved in the action.

The Advocate General contended that merely alleging that police had directed mosques to remove loudspeakers was insufficient and that specific incidents should be supported by concrete details or documents. He urged the court to dismiss the petition with costs.

Following the state's submissions, the Acting Chief Justice sought clarification on the government's position, asking whether the state was maintaining that the police had not taken any such action and that there was no state order regarding the use of loudspeakers. The Advocate General maintained that this was the state's position.

The petitioner subsequently claimed that police meetings had been held in Champdani and Telenipara and that police personnel had visited mosques in the area. Banerjee alleged that repeated pressure had been exerted on mosque authorities to remove the loudspeakers. The state disputed these allegations and sought specific details to substantiate them.

The hearing also witnessed a heated exchange between the lawyers representing the two sides. The arguments escalated into personal remarks, prompting the court to intervene and caution both sides before bringing the altercation to an end.

The state government must now clarify by August 18 whether any official or administrative order has been issued for the removal of loudspeakers from mosques and whether police personnel have taken any action or exerted pressure in this regard. The state's response is expected to determine the court's further course of action in the matter.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh