A fresh controversy has erupted after six complaints were filed by the Hubballi-Dharwad City Police against DJ operators and owners of sound systems for allegedly violating noise pollution regulations on 14th September (Monday) during Lord Ganesh celebrations in Karnataka.
Both the Vidyagiri Police Station and the Dharwad Town Police Station filed two cases each, as one each was submitted at Hubballi APMC-Navanagar Police Station and Dharwad Suburban Police Station. Sections 125 and 292 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 36, 37 and 109 of the Karnataka Police (KP) Act have been invoked in the cases.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have reacted strongly to the action taken on the pivotal Hindu festival. “Why does the Congress government, which remains silent throughout the year while loudspeakers are used for the azaan in mosques for 365 days, suddenly decide to file cases only against the DJs and sound systems used by devotees for just one or two days during Ganeshotsava,” asked Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka.
“Does the Congress government have any example of issuing a similar notice regarding loudspeakers in mosques? Are there only rules, restrictions and cases when it comes to Hindu religious practices? We condemn this discrimination,” he declared.
“I am always ready to raise my voice and stand in solidarity with any Hindu brother or sister who faces unnecessary harassment from the government while celebrating Ganeshotsava. Ganeshotsava is our religious right. There is no question of tolerating any attempt to trample it,” Ashoka added while referring to Congress as anti-Hindu.
365 ದಿನವೂ ಮಸೀದಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆಜಾನ್ಗಾಗಿ ಧ್ವನಿವರ್ಧಕ ಬಳಸುವಾಗ ಮೌನವಾಗಿರುವ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರ, ಗಣೇಶೋತ್ಸವದ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದೆರಡು ದಿನ ಭಕ್ತರು ಬಳಸುವ ಡಿಜೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಸೌಂಡ್ ಸಿಸ್ಟಮ್ಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೇಸ್ ಹಾಕಲು ಮುಂದಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಏಕೆ?
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) September 16, 2026
ಮಸೀದಿಗಳ ಧ್ವನಿವರ್ಧಕಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ನೋಟಿಸ್ ನೀಡಿದ ಉದಾಹರಣೆ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್… pic.twitter.com/TsgSs5Rv8Y
Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy likewise accused the government in Karnataka of being anti-Hindu and asked how a case can be filed against those who install DJs, conveying, “In the future, they can also lodge a case against those who install Ganpati.” He also criticised Congress for declaring anti-Hindu Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid a “nationalist.”
Bengaluru, Karnataka: On State Congress president B. K. Hariprasad's 'Umar Khalid is a nationalist' remark, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, says, "…We must reflect on the fact that Congress stands alongside… pic.twitter.com/xYjGICCE6M
— IANS (@ians_india) September 16, 2026
Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalika also voiced his protest over the development. He asked, “If DJs are restricted at the Ganpati festival on grounds of noise pollution, why do loud sounds from mosques persist throughout every day of the year?” He questioned whether the government, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and the police department are unaware of this.
Muthalika further maintained that if DJs are to be restricted, the Azaan (Muslim call to prayer) in mosques should likewise be entirely discontinued. He emphasised that legal standards should apply uniformly to all, remarking, “It is unfair to enforce such stringent regulations exclusively for Ganeshotsava, which transpires only annually.”
Observing that microphones are utilised throughout the state without formal authorisation, he inquired why permission should be mandatory for Ganeshotsav. He also challenged why decibel restrictions are applied solely to Hindu festivals and not to others, and asserted that any cases pertaining to DJs should similarly be enforced on the other side as well.
Earlier, Ashoka lashed out at the Congress government and Karnataka police over restrictions on the festival. He had charged, “The police officer in T. Narasipur, Mysuru, called the Ganesha festival organisers and threatened them not to go near any masjid, no procession, no crackers, and no slogans. This is not just a Mysuru issue; this is happening across Karnataka. Police officers are calling Ganesha Chaturthi organisers and threatening them. This shows that the Karnataka government is a Taliban government, a one-sided government. At mosques, from 4 am to 10 pm, prayers and slogans are played on loudspeakers. There is no restriction.”
