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In four days, 10,923 loudspeakers removed from religious sites in UP
Volume of 35,221 other loudspeakers set to permissible limits across Uttar Pradesh following a government order, say police officials
LUCKNOW Around 10,923 loudspeakers were removed from religious places and the volume of 35,221 others was set to permissible limits across Uttar Pradesh over the past four days following a government order, said senior police officials on Wednesday.
The action came days after the state government issued orders for removal of loudspeakers from religious places across UP, they said. The home department sought a compliance report by April 30 from all districts and police commissionerates over removal of loudspeakers/reducing their volume as per the directives of the UP Pollution Control Board.
Home department officials asserted that loudspeakers were being removed from all religious places without discrimination.
During a law and order review meeting with senior officials last week, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that everyone has the freedom to follow his/her method of worship according to his/her religious ideology.
“Though microphones can be used, make sure the sound does not come out of any premises. Other people should not face any problem,” he said.
“A statewide drive is being undertaken to remove loudspeakers from religious places and set their volume within permissible limits. As part of this exercise, 10,923 loudspeakers were removed and the volume of 35,221 others was reduced to permissible limits so far,” said Prashant Kumar, ADG (law and order).
A home department official said religious leaders of both Hindu and Muslim communities in many districts had unanimously agreed to reduce the volume of loudspeakers.
As one of the first steps in this direction, a loudspeaker installed atop the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura was muted on April 20. As a result, the ‘Manglacharan Aarti, held for an hour from 5am, was not broadcast through the loudspeaker at Bhagwat Bhavan on the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi premises.
On Wednesday, Shaktipeeth Devipatan Tulsipur Temple in Balrampur removed three out of four loudspeakers and reduced the volume of one to permissible limits. Temple Mahant Mithilesh Nath appealed to all religious leaders to follow the same.
In Gorakhpur, the Gorakhnath Temple trust lowered the volume of loudspeakers on the premises. Besides, the loudspeakers have been turned away from the roads, localities and public places near the temple. In Meerut, the volume of loudspeaker was lowered at the Rajrajeshwari temple. The management at the historic Kali Paltan temple, also in Meerut, said it would do the same.
In Kanpur, the Mandir-Mutt coordination committee said it had voluntarily taken off loudspeakers from temples. And in Ayodhya, all prominent seers of the temple town extended their support to the state government’s initiative to keep a check on loudspeakers.
In several districts, senior clerics also came forward and asked the mosque committees to reduce the volume of loudspeakers in compliance with the CM’s directive.
“We have directed all the mosques here to limit the sound of loudspeakers to ensure that it does not come out of the premises,” Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Imam, Eidgah, in Lucknow had said earlier. He said similar directives were issued to all Sunni mosques in the state capital.
Lucknow has around 700 mosques whereas there are around 40 Shia mosques.
The maximum number of 2,395 loudspeakers was removed in districts of Lucknow Zone, followed by 1,788 in Gorakhpur Zone, 1,366 in Varanasi zone, 1,204 in Meerut Zone, 1,172 in Prayagraj Zone, 1,070 in Bareilly Zone, 1,056 in Kanpur Zone, 413 in Agra Zone, said a senior police official.
Besides, at least 190 loudspeakers were removed in Lucknow Commissionerate, 170 in Varanasi Commissionerate, 19 in Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate while 80 loudspeakers were removed in Kanpur Commissionerate, he added.
In terms of reducing the volume of loudspeakers, Lucknow Zone topped with action against 7,397 loudspeakers followed by Bareilly Zone where volume of 6,257 loudspeakers was reduced and Meerut Zone where volume of 5,976 loudspeakers was reduced within permissible limits.
The volume of 5,561 loudspeakers was reduced in Gorakhpur Zone, 2,417 in Varanasi Zone, 1,880 in Agra Zone, 1,713 in Kanpur Zone and 1,614 in Prayagraj Zone. In addition, the volume of 1,235 loudspeakers was reduced in Lucknow Commissionerate, 462 in Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate, 374 in Varanasi Commissionerate and volume of 335 loudspeakers was reduced in Kanpur Commissionerate.
