‘Let outsiders pray at mosque in Pratapgarh police lines’
Samajwadi Party leaders meet DIG, hand over memorandum
PRAYAGRAJ: Samajwadi Party(SP) leaders of Pratapgarh handed over a memorandum to the deputy inspector general (Prayagraj range) KP Singh here on Sunday in connection with ‘restrictions’ imposed on ‘outsiders’ wishing to offer ‘namaz’ at the mosque in Pratapgarh Police Lines.
The SP leaders requested the senior officer to intervene and issue orders allowing lawyers and other persons to offer ‘namaz’ at the mosque on Fridays.
On Friday, policemen stopped ‘namazis’ from offering prayers at the mosque located inside the Pratapgarh police lines premises.
The police had claimed that according to the new orders, only policemen and their relatives who reside inside the police lines premises could offer prayers in the mosque.
Wasiq Khan, district general secretary of the Samajwadi Party’s Pratapgarh unit, said not only Muslim police personnel and their family members who resided at police lines but also lawyers and residents of the area used to offer ‘namaz’ at the mosque since many years without any restriction.
But now resentment prevailed among Muslims in Pratapgarh over what he described as the ‘unnecessary restriction’ imposed by the Pratapgarh SP.
Khan requested the DIG range to issue instructions to the superintendent of police, Pratapgarh, to remove the restrictions and allow all Muslims to offer ‘namaz’ at the mosque at Pratapgarh police lines.
The deputy inspector general assured the Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders that necessary steps would be taken after discussing the issue with senior administrative and police officials in Pratapgarh.
However, he also cautioned against creating trouble and entering the police lines premises for offering prayers at the mosque without permission.
A first information report (FIR) was lodged on Saturday against AIMIM district president Israr Ahmad and some others for forcing their way to the mosque to offer prayers and inciting communal passions.
Samajwadi Party’s Pratapgarh district president Gulfam Khan, Chhatra Sabha district president Saddam Husain, Irshad Siddiqui and others were among the delegation.
ON FRIDAY, POLICEMEN STOPPED ‘NAMAZIS’ FROM OFFERING PRAYERS AT THE MOSQUE LOCATED INSIDE THE PRATAPGARH POLICE LINES PREMISES.