In recent weeks, the dismantling of loudspeakers from mosques across Mumbai has triggered growing concern within the muslim population of the city, witnessing a complex showdown and debates that have now escalated from the legal actions and political campaigning to demands for administrative accountability.
On January 23 this year, a bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justices AS Gadkari and SC Chandak, ruled that loudspeaker use is not integral to any religion, directing the Maharashtra police to enforce existing noise pollution regulations and instructing the state government to mandate that religious institutions implement mechanisms to control sound levels.
Following the court’s directive, BJP former MP Kirit Somaiya launched a ‘Loudspeaker-Free Mumbai’ campaign, which was followed by a police notice on May 11 mandating all mosques to remove loudspeakers and reapply for licenses through a stricter documentation process.
The ongoing enforcement has drawn legal scrutiny, with mosque committees and political representatives raising concerns over police action being carried out without transparency or adherence to due process.
On Monday, five Muslim religious institutions from Vikhroli filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, represented by senior counsel Yusuf Muchhala and Karim Pathan of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, challenging the manner in which loudspeakers were being removed.
The next day, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi addressed over 200 imams and mosque committee members in Govandi, urging them to ask for written directives before removing any equipment.
However, the recent police action drew wider attention after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in a meeting held on wednesday with a cross-party coalition of Muslim leaders, including NCP’s Nawab Malik, Zeeshan Siddique, Sana Malik, Syed Jalaluddin, SP’s Abu Asim Azmi, and AIMIM’s Waris Pathan, warned the police to follow due process and urged BJP state vice president Kirit Somaiya to end his campaign against mosque loudspeakers.
“If atrocities are committed against Muslims, I will fight for their rights — this is the promise Ajit Dada made,” Reacting to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s assurance during the meeting, SP leader Abu Asim Azmi welcomed the promise.
Emphasising the need for accountability, he also stated, “Now, regarding the controversy being stirred up about mosque loudspeakers, we expect concrete action from him. Why do all the troubles of the BJP seem to come only from Muslims?”
The meeting was also attended by Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla and Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, who mentioned that around 1,500 loudspeakers had been taken down across the city.
Questioning the outrage over mosque loudspeakers, AIMIM leader Waris Pathan remarked, “Azaan has been heard in the subcontinent for generations. Syncretism and secularism are the core values of India. Why is it that only the azaan on loudspeakers becomes a problem?”
The issue sparked further civic engagement on a grassroots level as well when, on Monday, the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum sent formal emails to the Mumbai Police and the Chief Minister’s Office, condemning the removal of mosque loudspeakers “without notice, explanation or due process, in violation of our fundamental rights.”
Speaking to Maktoob, Shaikh Faiyaz Alam, convenor of Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum, voiced concerns about the selective nature of the action, stating that authorities were primarily targeting “specific areas with dense Muslim populations, such as Govandi and Shivajinagar, where residents were largely unaware of the court judgement and legal procedures”.
“Azan is an essential part of the religious life of Muslims, removing loudspeakers from mosques in these localities amounted to taking away the fundamental right to practise our religion”, he added.
An RTI filed by the forum also exposed serious lapses in enforcement by the Shivaji Nagar Police, revealing that the station had only “one working noise meter, one faulty device, and had taken zero action in 3 years with no noise reports and no data-based enforcement,” the Forum posted on X.
According to Alam, the mosque loudspeaker row also reveals stark contradictions in political conduct, where Ajit Pawar’s promises of justice conflict with his defence of police action, and Abu Asim Azmi’s silence undermines his role as a representative.
“The public’s ‘Tumhi Zakhm Do, aur tum hi aa kar Dawa do’ sentiment reflects frustration with political duplicity and unfulfilled assurances, highlighting a need for transparent enforcement and consistent advocacy to resolve the escalating tension”, he remarked.
The mosque loudspeaker removals in Mumbai reflect a troubling pattern of selective enforcement disguised as regulatory compliance. The targeting of Muslim-majority areas without due notice or transparency undermines constitutional rights and deepens distrust.
