HYDERABAD: One of the first things that Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi noticed on her maiden visit to the city on Tuesday was a violation of a Supreme Court order.
The former IPS officer immediately took to Twitter to remind Hyderabadis about the order that was passed by the Supreme Court way back in 2005.
“Competitive, faith based, loud speakers blaring heard in Hyderabad in complete violation & contempt of Supreme Court orders. Needs correction (sic.),” she tweeted and urged people to file a petition “Before the AP High Court to seek a strict compliance of SC orders on use loudspeakers(sic.)”.
Though there was no information on the location where she noticed the ‘violation’ or the kind of music that was being played at around 9 am (as per her tweet’s timings), it is an undeniable fact that loudspeakers blare across the city.
The ban on playing music on loudspeakers as per the Supreme Court is between 10 pm and 6 am, and police patrolling team are often found appealing to event organisers to shut shop by 11 pm.
When contacted, Director General of Police Anurag Sharma too pointed out the same. “If there was music being played, it implies that the concerned party has the permission to play from their police commissionerate as permission is sought beforehand. Violations of this order are constantly monitored and there is police intervention to regulate the sound,” said the DGP.
If the Puducherry LG was referring to the call of ‘Azaan’, Hamid Mohd Khan, president of Jamaat-e-Islaami Hind, noted that it is not music, because listening to music is a religious violation in Islam. Azaan is only calling and it is done for two minutes.
He further said there was no objection from any of the officials with regard to calling the ‘Azaan’.
On the other hand, a priest seeking anonymity near Somajiguda said, “Whenever we have bhajans in the evening, we promptly call it a day by 11.”
Meanwhile, A Chandrasekhar, a resident of Begumpet, rued, “When large numbers of people take out band, baaja, baraats in the midnight, it certainly is not loudspeaker but something equally high in decible and annoying.”