Haryana Congress vice-president Aftab Ahmed said that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s remarks that namaz should be offered in mosques or eidgahs instead of public places, exhibited his “political immaturity and narrow-mindedness”.
Talking to journalists in Chandigarh on Sunday, Mr. Khattar said that namaz should be offered at mosques or eidgahs, and in case there was shortage of space, then it should be offered at a ‘personal place’.
The State Public Relations Department later issued a clarification stating that the CM never said anything about stopping anyone from offering namaz .
‘Political ploy’
Stating that it was a common political ploy of the BJP to first allow its “goons” to make an issue out of nothing and then support it for political gains, Mr. Ahmed said that Gurugram was home to people from different States and religions and nothing can be more “unfortunate than the Haryana government failing to ensure that people prayed as per their faith”.
“Be it Ram Rahim, Jat reservation, Rampal or Padmaavat , the BJP always looks for political gains,” said Mr. Ahmed, the former Haryana Transport Minister.
The Gurugram unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also criticised the disruption of Friday prayers and demanded that the administration fulfil its constitutional obligation.
Continuing their protest against offering of namaz in open spaces, right-wing organisations had this past Friday allegedly disrupted prayers at around four places across the city in the presence of the police.
The protests had started after six persons were arrested last month for preventing people from offering Friday prayers at a ground in Sector 53, near Wazirabad village.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Planning Rao Inderjit Singh, who is also Gurugram Lok Sabha MP, said he did not want the controversy over offering of namaz to flare-up and had directed the administration to identify places for Muslims to offer Friday prayers.
“We have told the administration that everybody has the right to prayer. But they should get a place where they can do it without any objection from the locals. If there are no mosques nearby then we need to designate open spaces. I have spoken to the ADC and the local party MLAs,” said Mr. Singh.
Damage control
Meanwhile, a meeting was convened at DLF Phase-II under the Not In My Name Campaign, to discuss possible interventions that could prevent the situation from becoming worse.
One of the participants, documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy, said that it was broadly decided that they would meet the Deputy Commissioner to seek security and safety for those offering prayers. He said that the citizens wanted the administration to come up with solutions so that there were no untoward incidents next Friday.
‘Seeking a ban’
Holding a meeting under the aegis of Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti on Sunday evening, over 50 office-bearers of several right-wing outfits reiterated their stand to prevent holding of Friday prayers in open spaces.
“In view of the statement of the Chief Minister, we have decided to submit a fresh memorandum to the DC on Monday seeking complete ban on offering of prayers in open spaces. We are committed to prevent the illegal practice, if the administration fails to do so,” said Gurugram’s Shiv Sena president Gautam Saini.
