HC allows ‘azaan’ sans loudspeakers
PRAYAGRAJ The Allahabad high court on Friday allowed ‘azaan’ (call to prayer) by ‘muezzin’ (a man whose duty is to call Muslims for prayer) from mosques but did not permit use of loudspeakers without prior permission of respective district administration as per law.
The court said while ‘azaan’ was an integral part of Islam, loudspeakers were not part of the religion.
With this observation, the bench of justice Shashi Kant Gupta and justice Ajit Kumar finally disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by BSP MP from Ghazipur Afzal Ansari seeking lifting of ban on ‘azaan’ from mosques in Ghazipur.
“We are of the considered opinion that Azaan may be an essential and integral part of Islam but recitation of Azaan through loudspeakers or other sound amplifying devices cannot be said to be an integral part of the religion warranting protection of the fundamental right enshrined under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, which is even otherwise subject to public order, morality or health and to other provisions of part III of the Constitution of India,” the bench said.
“It cannot be said that a citizen should be coerced to hear anything which he does not like or which he does not require since it amounts to taking away the fundamental right of other persons,” observed the bench.
The petitioner’s plea was that there was no specific order in the central or state government guidelines to prohibit ‘azaan’ from mosques. Therefore, the arbitrary decision taken by the district administration of Ghazipur was illegal.
The state government’s contention was that religious activity by any religious group through loudspeaker had been
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› My petition was about lifting a ban on azaan by district administration and high court has directed administration to allow azaan from mosque by human voice. I was seeking permission for azaan as it is necessary to inform Muslims that it is time for prayers AFZAL ANSARI, BSP MP
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court paved the way on Friday for the resumption of liquor sale through state-run outlets in Tamil Nadu, staying the Madras high court orders that directed the closure of such stores operated by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation.
A bench headed by justice L Nageswara Rao, however, orally observed that the ultimate decision on whether liquor should be sold and how the sale should be made rests with the government.
“Issue notice. In the meanwhile, there shall be ad interim stay of orders dated 6.5.2020 and 8.5.2020 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras,” it said.
In a May 1 order, the Centre allowed states to sell liquor in standalone shops and said social distancing should be followed.
Subsequently, the state issued a public notice on May 4, announcing that TASMAC outlets, which were shut since the lockdown, would reopen on May 7. But on a public interest litigation by one B Ramkumar Adityan, the HC passed an order on May 6, regulating the sale of liquor.