Why are Mumbai mosques reducing call to prayer volume?

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Mumbai Mosques Reduce Call to Prayer Volume Amidst Noise Pollution Concerns and Political Demands

Mosques in Mumbai are reducing the volume of their calls to prayer, known as the azaan, in response to demands from a regional Hindu political party and to prevent potential communal tension. This move follows complaints that the loudspeakers used for the azaan were exceeding permissible noise limits. Over 900 mosques in the western part of Maharashtra state have reportedly agreed to lower the volume of their calls to prayer.
Political Pressure to Adhere to Noise Regulations

Raj Thackeray, the leader of a regional Hindu party, publicly demanded in April that mosques and other places of worship adhere to court-mandated noise level regulations. Thackeray stated that if these limits were not respected, his party followers would engage in protests by chanting Hindu prayers outside mosques. He asserted that his actions were solely aimed at enforcing existing court rulings on noise pollution, not targeting any specific religious group.
Concerns Over Religious Freedom and Communal Harmony

Leaders representing India's substantial Muslim population, estimated at 200 million, perceive these demands as part of a broader effort by hardline Hindu factions to curtail their rights to free worship and religious expression. While acknowledging the political dimension, Islamic scholars in Mumbai, such as Mohammed Ashfaq Kazi, the main preacher at the city's largest mosque, have expressed a desire to de-escalate the issue and prevent it from becoming a communal conflict. Kazi indicated that compliance with the volume reduction was partly to mitigate the risk of violence between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
Law Enforcement and Broader Regional Actions

Mumbai police have taken steps to manage the situation, filing a criminal case against two individuals for using loudspeakers to broadcast the early morning azaan and issuing warnings to Thackeray's party workers against gathering near mosques. A senior police official emphasised that communal tension would not be tolerated and that court orders regarding noise levels must be respected. This situation is not isolated to Maharashtra; Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politicians in at least three other states have also called for the removal or limitation of loudspeakers in places of worship. In Uttar Pradesh, the deputy chief minister reported that over 60,000 unauthorised loudspeakers had been removed from various religious sites.

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Why are Mumbai mosques reducing call to prayer volume?

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