SC refuses to hear PIL on loudspeaker ban at religious places

Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL that sought ban on use of loudspeakers at religious sites on the ground that they cause noise pollution besides causing communal riots. "There are directions in place. This court had given them," a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal said.

Earlier, the bench, on August 25 last year, had asked journalist and social activist Vineet Narain to collect more "field data" in support of his PIL. However, the bench today refused to go into details collected under the RTI by Narain and said its directions on curbing noise pollution had already been passed.

"As far as Delhi is concerned, rules are being complied with by Delhi Police. There cannot be a general order," the bench today said. The PIL had sought a complete ban on the use of loudspeakers at every place of worship for all religions. Not only it creates noise pollution but it also threatens "the very safety of the peace-loving citizens of this country", the PIL had said, adding loudspeakers were not invented before 1861, "yet Prophet Mohammed, Hindu saints, Guru Nanak Dev and Christian Missionaries preached religion without the help of loudspeakers." Narain had also said that in several Islamic countries, the use of loudspeakers was prohibited in mosques.