Kolkata, August 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir has called for uniform enforcement of rules governing loudspeakers at religious places in West Bengal, saying the same standards should apply to temples and mosques.
His remarks came amid claims by several mosque and temple committees that police had removed microphones and loudspeakers from places of worship as part of an alleged crackdown on noise levels.
Speaking to IANS, Kabir said noise regulations should be implemented in accordance with legal and judicial requirements, but warned against enforcement without proper notification.
“The Pollution Control Board does not permit noise levels above 65 decibels. Everyone will agree with that. Even the Supreme Court has issued an order regarding the 65-decibel limit. So, what is the problem? However, there should be a proper notification,” he said.
He added that police should not forcibly remove loudspeakers in the absence of a formal government notification and urged religious institutions to comply with applicable laws.
“Everyone should follow the rules, whether it concerns a mosque or a temple because it can’t be that noise only from mosque create problems and not from temples,” Kabir said.
He urged the state government to issue a notification based on the Supreme Court’s directions so that the rules could be uniformly followed.
The issue has also reached the Calcutta High Court. A public interest litigation was filed before a division bench on Monday seeking withdrawal of the state government order concerning the removal of microphones and loudspeakers from religious places.
The PIL was filed by senior advocate and four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee on behalf of lawyer Danish Faruqi. The petitioner has questioned the legal basis for removing loudspeakers and microphones, particularly from mosques.
Separately, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court granted conditional permission for a protest rally on Tuesday against the government’s order.
Opposition parties have alleged that mosques were being specifically targeted. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has rejected the charge, saying the action applies to all religious places, including temples.
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