Gurugram: Muslims were again stopped from offering Friday prayer at a vacant plot in Phase III in Gurugram. According to representatives of the Muslim community, they had taken the space on rent following clashes with locals over reading namaz in the allotted spots in the area.
According to a news published in Indian Express, Wajid Khan, head of the Nehru Yuva Sangathan Welfare Society Charitable Trust said that “We had been given space near Moulsari Metro station for Friday prayers, but it was being disrupted. We then moved to another park owned by the Haryana Urban Development Authority, but residents there objected as well.”
Earlier six persons were arrested after a FIR was filed for allegedly disrupting the Muslim prayers at a ground in Sector 53 and threatening those offering prayers. They got bail on April 29 on technical grounds.
The Muslim community finally rented a space in Nathupur village. However, the report says the man who rented the space alleged that the villagers had warned him that he should either stop giving it for prayers, or he would have to move from the area. So, the owner asked Muslims to shift the prayer stop elsewhere. Hence they could no longer pray at the spot.
Last month Muslims and members from the civil society met Gurugram Divisional Commissioner D. Suresh and sought open space for namaz and an amicable solution to the situation arising from the activities of rightwing outfits. A meeting was called to plan a response to the ongoing disturbance by the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti during open air Friday namaz in Gurugram.
The delegation demanded that the administration protect those offering of namaz at current locations and sought short-term and long-term solutions to the issue.
“Reclaiming Waqf Board land and plots is a long process. As a short-term solution, the administration must ensure peaceful namaz at current locations which are over 100 in number,” said Ishrat Thameem, a management consultant.
Siasat Web Team