The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking direction to the state authorities to allow loudspeakers on top of a mosque. The Court held that the religious places are for offering prayers, and use of loudspeakers there is not a matter of right. The petition was filed by Pilibhit-resident Mukhtiyar Ahmad.
The two judge-bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Donadi Ramesh noted, “Religious places are for offering prayers to the divinity and use of loudspeakers cannot be claimed as a matter of right, particularly when often such use of loudspeakers create nuisance for the residents”.
Notably, in April 2022, the Yogi Aditynath-led Uttar Pradesh government had ordered the removal of illegal loudspeakers from religious places across the state.
