State govt cannot install or remove loudspeakers: Maharashtra home minister

There is no provision for the state government to either install or remove loudspeakers, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said on Monday after an all-party meeting on the issue.

The BJP boycotted the meet, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Devendra Fadnavis said.

Some political parties have been demanding regulations on the use of loudspeakers and had set a deadline on it, Walse-Patil said without naming the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or its chief Raj Thackeray who has given an ultimatum to the state government to remove loudspeakers atop mosques by May 3.

He said that in the all-party meeting it was decided that the government should take all steps to maintain law and order in the state and work accordingly. The Supreme Court had given a decision on the use (regulations) of loudspeakers in 2005. Subsequently, other courts have also given decisions in this regard.

Accordingly, the Maharashtra government between 2015-17 came out with some GRs (government resolutions) and circulars on the use of loudspeakers and the permission on its usage including the timings and decibel limits. Based on it, loudspeakers are used in the state.

"There is no provision that the government cannot decide on installing or removing loudspeakers. Those who have installed loudspeakers, those who use it, will have to take care of the regulation, he said.