Loudspeakers at mosques: Gujarat govt ordered to reply

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Wednesday ordered the state government to file a reply over a PIL seeking a ban on the use of loudspeakers for reciting azan in mosques.
The bench of Acting Chief Justice A J Desai and Justice Biren Vaishnav has sought a reply from the state government on the issue by June 12 and posted further hearing on June 19. This happened after advocate D G Shukla, who appears for Bajrang Dal leader Shaktisinh Zala, complained that the high court had sought a reply from the government on this PIL last year, but there has been no response from the government.
Dr Dharmendra Prajapati, who runs a hospital in Sector 5C in Gandhinagar, filed a PIL in January 2022, complaining that the muezzin at the mosque in his neighbourhood uses loudspeaker five times a day to recite azan though not many persons turn up to offer prayers. He further claimed that loudspeakers caused great inconvenience and disturbance for people living nearby. He contended that people have a right to peace and tranquillity and demanded a prohibition on loudspeakers in mosques across the state.
Three months later, the doctor withdrew from the litigation claiming he had received a threat from a specific section of society. Then, after getting to know of the doctor's withdrawal, the Bajrang Dal leader requested the high court to allow him to be part of the litigation.
Meanwhile, the HC posted the next hearing on June 20 on another PIL that seeks to restrain noise pollution created by DJ trucks during processions.