No Law To Take Down Loudspeakers, Maharashtra Asks Centre To Make Laws For States

Mumbai, 26 April 2022: The Maharashtra state government on Monday put the onus on the Centre to “make rules and bring clarity” on the use of loudspeakers.

Addressing a press conference after the all-party meeting, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil as well as Environment and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said the state had no role in “removing loudspeakers”.

Walse Patil said, “The state cannot take any decision on whether to remove or install loudspeakers. Whoever is installing loudspeakers has to take responsibility.”

The BJP and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which demanded the removal of loudspeakers from mosques, did not attend the all-party meeting.

Walse-Patil said that the 2005 Supreme Court verdict pertains to the entire country, so the Centre should decide on this issue.

“The Centre should take a final view on the issue. An all-party delegation will meet the Centre for clarifications and will examine the policy being followed by other states. There is no law to remove loudspeakers”, he added.