Members of Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch, a citizens’ forum, on Thursday demanded legal action against a Hindu fringe group for alleged repeated attempts to disrupt jumma namaz (Friday prayers) through intimidation at various locations across the city.
A five-member delegation of the forum called on DCP (Headquarters) Aastha Modi and complained that Bharat Mata Vahini members were showing up at namaz locations, designated by the local administration for the purpose of offering Friday prayers, and intimidating imams and using provocative and hurtful language to disrupt the prayers and provoke violence.
The delegation handed over a memorandum to the police officer, saying that the group, in its latest attempt, had on September 24 disrupted Friday prayers in Sector 47 at a site designated by the administration for namaz. “Before this, the group had appeared at consecutive Fridays in Sector 39 and 40 in March last year. Through these clearly unlawful tactics, They have been successful in getting the prayers stopped at Sector 39, 40 and 43 during March and April this year,” said the letter.
The delegation members claimed that the group members were issuing warnings to Muslims through social media and making baseless and insensitive accusations against them, creating enmity between different communities.
Daya Singh, one of the delegates, said the police assured action in the matter.
Reacting to the delegation’s meeting, Haryana Shiv Sena spokesperson Ritu Raj said his party was not involved in the disruption of the Friday prayers, but they supported the demand that the designated places of namaz be reduced as agreed upon by both parties in 2018.
“After opposition to the holding of jumma namaz in the open, the administration consulted both the parties and designated 36 places, including government sites, across the city for the prayers. It was decided at the meeting that the number of these sites would be gradually reduced over a period of time to exclude government sites and public places such as parks. But it has not been done,” said Mr. Raj.
