Namaz okay at public places if no one objects, says Haryana CM Khattar

There has been an increase in occurrence of namaz being offered at public places. It is fine till no one objects. But ideally namaz should be offered in the precincts of a religious place or at one’s home.

MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR, Haryana chief minister

CHANDIGARH: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Sunday that namaz should “ideally” be offered in mosques or at one’s home, reacting after right wing protesters allegedly disrupted prayers by Muslims in 10 public places in Gurgaon on Friday.

“There has been an increase in occurrence of namaz being offered at public places. It is fine till no one objects. But ideally namaz should be offered in the precincts of a religious place or at one’s home,” said Khattar in Chandigarh on Sunday before leaving for a ten-day visit to Israel and the United Kingdom.

Khattar said his government would maintain law and order, remarks in the wake of demands by Hindu groups who have said they will continue their protest if “unauthorised” prayers in public places isn’t stopped.

He said the Haryana government was keeping a close watch on the issue.

Security forces fanned out in Gurgaon on Friday after members of a group called ‘Hindu Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti’ staged protests and claimed that Muslim worshippers did not have permission to offer prayers at roadsides, parks, and vacant government land in the city.

The Samiti comprises 12 Hindu groups, which include Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena, Hindu Jagran Manch and Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Kranti Dal.

The protesters claimed that Muslim worshippers did not have permission to offer prayers at roadsides, parks, and vacant government land in the city.

Six people were arrested after an FIR was filed at Gurugram’s Sector 53 police station on Thursday evening for allegedly disrupting the Muslim prayers at an open ground in Sector 53 and for allegedly threatening those offering prayers.