No Ramzan exemption on loudspeakers, says UP govt citing Supreme Court order

The Uttar Pradesh government firmly denied any relaxation for loudspeaker announcements from mosques during Ramzan, citing Supreme Court restrictions. The issue sparked a debate in the Assembly but no exemption was granted for Sehri and Iftar timings.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday ruled out any relaxation on the use of loudspeakers during Ramzan, telling the Assembly that restrictions flow from binding orders of the Supreme Court of India and cannot be set aside.

The issue triggered a sharp exchange during the Budget Session after Samajwadi Party MLA Kamal Akhtar raised the matter during Zero Hour. He urged the government to permit mosques to make brief announcements through loudspeakers at the time of ‘sehri’ (pre-dawn meal) and ‘iftar’ (evening meal to break the fast), saying it would bring “a lot of relief” to those observing roza.

Ramzan commenced on Thursday.

Akhtar argued that announcements have traditionally been made from mosques to inform people about the exact timings of sehri and iftar. He said that since festivals of all religions, including Holi, Diwali, Dussehra, Kanwar Yatra, as well as Christian and Sikh celebrations, are observed in the state, similar consideration should be extended during Ramzan.

He also claimed that the government had recently removed loudspeakers from most religious places and appealed for a limited exemption during the holy month.

Responding to the demand, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna rejected the proposal, stating that the Supreme Court has clearly directed that loudspeakers cannot be used after 10 pm.