28-05-2025
PIL opposes Friday prayers on public road outside mosque in Coimbatore
The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice, returnable by June 11, to the Hidayathul Muslimin Sunnath Jamath at Thudiyalur in Coimbatore district on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed against the conduct of Friday prayers on a public road in front of the mosque.
A summer vacation Bench of Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy and Justice T.V. Thamilselvi also recorded the submission of Additional Advocate General M.S. Suresh Kumar, representing Coimbatore Collector, that no obstruction was being caused on the road since April 18, 2025.
The AAG told the court that revenue officials had conducted peace committee meetings and the situation was being monitored. Special Government Pleader (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department) N.R.R. Arun Natarajan said, no disturbance was caused to nearby temples because of the mosque.
The PIL petition had been filed by S. Vijesh, an employee of Lakshmi Mills Works at Nilambur. His counsel C.K. Chandrasekhar claimed that the residents of Thudiyalur locality were subjected to inconvenience due to the Friday congregation, at the mosque, performing prayers right on the public road.
He said, a huge number of Muslims congregate for the afternoon prayers between 12 noon and 1 p.m. every Friday and since all of them could not be accommodated inside the mosque, they end up performing the prayers on the road itself thereby blocking public access to two temples nearby.
The petitioner also complained of the motor vehicles of the congregants being parked on the road haphazardly thereby causing great inconvenience to the local residents. He said, blocking access to a public road causes threat to public safety by preventing access to vehicles in cases of emergency.
During the course of hearing, Justice Ramamoorthy said: 'Ultimately, we are a multi-religious country. So, reasonable accommodation must be extended by people of every faith.' Nevertheless, since the Jamath had to be heard in the matter, he ordered notice to it returnable in two weeks.
