Delhi-based social outfit Khudai Khidmatgar has said its national convenor Faisal Khan, who was arrested by the police after he offered namaz inside a temple in Mathura, had been given permission to do so by those present there on October 29.
The Khudai Khidmatgar, however, apologised to individuals and organisations if the act had hurt their sentiments and clarified that it was not their intention.
The Mathura police arrested Mr. Khan and booked three of his associates — Chand Mohammad, Alok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta — for allegedly offering namaz at the Nand Baba temple in Barsana, Mathura.
Photographs of the act were shared widely on social media. In the FIR, the caretaker priest of the temple Kanha Goswami accused Mr. Khan and Mr. Chand of stealthily offering namaz. The accused were charged with promoting enmity between religious groups, defiling a place of worship and public mischief.
Khudai Khidmatgar spokesperson Pawan Yadav said Mr. Khan and his associates were on a five-day tour of Braj area to participate in the Chaurasi Kosi Yatra of Govardhan.
“On the last day of his pilgrimage, Faisal Khan visited the holy temple of Nand Baba. He paid his obeisance there,” said Mr. Yadav.
“It was time for his afternoon prayers, so he asked for [a] suitable place. The people who were there in the temple allowed him to offer prayers at the temple compound itself by saying ‘you are already in the home of God so why you need to go anywhere else.’ So, Faisal Khan completed his prayers,” said Mr. Yadav.
After the prayers, Mr. Khan and his associates also had lunch at the temple, added Mr. Yadav.
The Khudai Khidmatgar said it believed in peace, love and communal harmony, and worked to counter all forms of religious extremism in society.
