Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir on Tuesday called for uniform enforcement of noise regulations across all religious places in West Bengal, saying rules on loudspeaker use must apply equally to temples and mosques. His remarks came amid an alleged police crackdown on sound systems at places of worship across the state.

What Humayun Kabir Said

Speaking to reporters, Kabir cited the Supreme Court's standing order capping permissible noise at 65 decibels and said the limit must be respected universally. “The Pollution Control Board does not permit noise levels above 65 decibels. Everyone will agree with that. Even the Supreme Court has issued an order regarding the 65-decibel limit. So, what is the problem? However, there should be a proper notification,” he said.

Kabir added that without a formal notification, police should not forcibly remove equipment from places of worship. “If there is no notification, the police should not forcibly remove the microphones and loudspeakers. Everyone should follow the orders of the government and the judicial system. Everyone should follow the rules, whether it concerns a mosque or a temple because it can’t be that noise only from mosque create problems and not from temples,” he said.

The AJUP chief urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led West Bengal government to issue a formal notification grounded in the Supreme Court’s directions, which he said “should be followed by everyone.”

PIL Filed in Calcutta High Court

A public interest litigation was filed before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday, seeking withdrawal of the state government’s order on the removal of microphones and loudspeakers from all religious places in West Bengal. The petition was filed by four-time All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha member and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee on behalf of lawyer Danish Faruqi.

The petitioner questioned the legal basis for the order, particularly as it concerns mosques. Separately, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday granted conditional permission for a protest rally on Tuesday against the government’s loudspeaker removal directive.

Government’s Position

Opposition parties had alleged that the BJP-led state government was selectively targeting mosques. However, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari clarified that the action was not limited to mosques and applied to all religious places, including temples. Several mosque and temple committees had reportedly claimed that police removed loudspeakers from their premises.

Broader Context

The loudspeaker controversy in West Bengal is part of a wider national debate over noise pollution norms at religious sites. The Supreme Court’s 65-decibel ceiling has been in force for years, yet enforcement has remained inconsistent across states and communities. This is not the first time the issue has sparked political and legal battles in India — similar disputes have unfolded in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in recent years. The legal challenge before the Calcutta High Court is expected to test whether the state’s removal order had adequate statutory backing.