Maharashtra looks to frame rules on use of loudspeakers at religious sites

Maharashtra is likely to formulate guidelines for allowing loudspeakers in religious places in a couple of days, state home minister Dilip Walse Patil said on Monday, attempting to forestall a swirling communal controversy.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have stirred a row over the use of loudspeakers at mosques for azaan and demanded their removal. Their stand has ratcheted up tensions across the state with MNS chief Raj Thackeray issuing an ultimatum and saying that loudspeakers from all mosques should be removed by May 3.

On Sunday, the administration in Nashik denied permission to the MNS and said it couldn’t use loudspeakers within 100 meters of a mosque, 15 minutes before and after the azaan.

Patil said the guidelines will be finalised in a meeting of director general of police Rajneesh Seth and Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey, after which a notification will be issued. He reiterated that strict action would be taken against any person or organisation trying to create communal tension. “The situation (after communal clashes in parts of the state) is under control and police are watching it very carefully. The local police have been asked to take appropriate steps,” he said.

The home department is expected to make permission for loudspeakers at religious places mandatory. According to previous judicial orders, permission to use loudspeakers at religious places is mandatory and the managements of these sites are expected to adhere to permissible decibel levels.

“We have issued orders earlier in accordance with the cases in Bombay high court. None of the courts has prohibited loudspeakers at the religious places including mosques. In an order about ten years ago, the court had asked the administration to monitor the noise levels (of loudspeakers at religious places) and maintain the same at a permissible level. The permission for the loud speakers at the religious places is also to be issued as per a court order given in 2016,” said an official from the home department, requesting anonymity.

The permissible noise level ranges from 40 to 70 decibels, (40db in silence zone, 45db in residential areas, 55db in commercial areas, and 70db in industrial areas) during the nigh time (10pm to 6am) and 50 to 75 decibels during day time from 6am to 10 pm.

Nashik police commissioner Deepak Pandey issued an order preventing MNS from playing Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeaker outside mosques. “We have received an intelligence report from our special branch stating that there could be serious law and order problems because of the communal tension after the ultimatum given by MNS chief Raj Thackeray…the azaan and use of the loudspeakers for it, is a customary right of the Muslim community and it cannot be interrupted into,” Pandey said.

“The state government has been saying that there was no need to remove the loudspeakers from the mosques, but does it have the willpower to take action against the loudspeakers put up without taking permission? Will it remove the illegal speakers and initiate cases against the responsible? The Nashik police commissioner’s order prohibiting chanting Hanuman Chalisa 15 minutes before and after Azaan, does discriminate between two religions,” state BJP vice-president Madhav Bhandari said.