West Bengal MPs Express Concerns Over Mosque Loudspeaker Removal

Concerns Raised by MPs in Murshidabad

On Saturday, two Members of Parliament from Murshidabad district in West Bengal met with the Chief Minister to express their worries regarding the removal of loudspeakers from mosques. After their meeting at the Nabanna state secretariat, MP Abu Tahir Khan accused the state of targeting Muslims. He stated that the removal of loudspeakers from mosques is highly unfortunate.

Khan emphasized that Muslims in Bengal are being unfairly targeted and urged for this to stop, asserting that they should be allowed to perform their prayers.

Call for Government Intervention

Accompanying Khan was Khalilur Rahman, the MP from Jangipur, who remarked that while court orders should be respected, the removal of loudspeakers from mosques is inappropriate. They have requested the government to reconsider this issue.

Khan, who won his seat for the second time in 2024 under the Trinamool Congress banner, claimed that the state police are excessively active in enforcing the removal of loudspeakers from mosques. He appealed to the Chief Minister to halt these actions.

Pending Cases and Voter Issues

Both MPs also urged the Chief Minister to intervene regarding the significant backlog of cases in Special Investigation Tribunals (SITs) in the Muslim-majority district. Khan pointed out that many legitimate voters, whose names have been removed from the electoral rolls, are awaiting tribunal decisions. The delays are causing issues with passport verification, land registration, and accessing government welfare schemes. They have requested the state government to expedite hearings and complete the process by December 31.

On Thursday, Khan, Rahman, and another MP from Murshidabad, Yusuf Pathan, met with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to discuss the issue of loudspeaker removal from mosques in the state.