Bengal mosque loudspeaker row deepens as Muslim leaders allege police pressure

Several mosque committees claimed they received verbal instructions from local police stations asking them to dismantle or replace loudspeakers, triggering protests from sections of the Muslim community and political leaders.

Issue reaches Centre, CM to face questions

The controversy is set to dominate political discussions, with the Trinamool Congress faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee planning to raise the issue with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday.

Meanwhile, three rebel TMC MPs—former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, Khalilur Rahaman and Abu Taher Khan—met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday and submitted a memorandum seeking intervention.

The MPs urged the Centre to ensure that court-mandated noise pollution rules are implemented without infringing upon religious freedom or hurting community sentiments.

Government cites court-mandated noise norms

The BJP government has maintained that the action is aimed solely at enforcing court directions on permissible noise levels.

Under the prescribed norms, the maximum permissible sound level is 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night.

According to reports, police have advised several mosque committees to replace conventional loudspeakers with sound boxes to comply with the decibel limits.

Chief Minister: Rules apply to mosques and temples alike

Defending the government's action, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the administration was merely implementing court orders and that the restrictions apply equally to all religious institutions.

He said sound from both mosques and temples should remain within their respective premises and not travel beyond the compound.

According to the Chief Minister, police have overseen the removal of 5,299 loudspeakers, including 4,203 from mosques and 1,096 from temples.

He also claimed that police had been instructed not to act forcefully and that mosque committees had cooperated with the exercise.

Muslim leaders allege police overreach

Several Muslim leaders have questioned the manner in which the rules are being enforced.

Rebel Trinamool MLA Akhruzzaman said people of every faith have the constitutional right to practise their religion.

"Hindus should be free to visit temples and offer prayers. In the same way, Muslims should be able to go to mosques, recite the azan and offer namaz. This is our culture, and it should remain intact," he said.

Former Bengal minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind state president Siddiqullah Chowdhury alleged that police personnel had visited several mosques and pressured management committees to remove loudspeakers.

He warned of a statewide agitation if the issue was not resolved.

ISF MLA seeks High Court intervention

Indian Secular Front (ISF) MLA Naushad Siddiqui said he may approach the Calcutta High Court and has written to the state's Director General of Police seeking clarification on whether any formal order had been issued.

In his letter, the Bhangar MLA said many mosque committees had already reduced the volume of loudspeakers voluntarily. He argued that institutions allegedly violating the rules should first receive formal notices and be given an opportunity to respond.

He also demanded a standard operating procedure for implementing the noise pollution norms and sought an inquiry against police personnel found to have exceeded their authority.

BJP dismisses criticism

The BJP rejected allegations that the action targeted any particular community.

State BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya said everyone has the democratic right to protest but accused opposition parties of adopting "double standards."

"This is a democratic country. Anyone is free to protest. This is not the rule of Babur, nor a Tughlaq-style administration," he said.

He added that politics based on the belief that only one viewpoint should prevail would not be accepted by the people of West Bengal.