Muslim men travelling from West Bengal to Ajmer in a bus faced the ire of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) men on September 13 when they were ‘punished’ for offering namaz by the side of the road.
The incident came to light when a video surfaced where a group of visibly scared Muslim men are seen holding their ears and kneeling before a group of Hindu men.
“What mistake did you do?” a person is heard asking the Muslim men, adding further, “This is Uttar Pradesh. You cannot pray anywhere except in a mosque.”
In 2019, the Uttar Pradesh police imposed a complete ban on offering namaz on roads across the state. This is not allowed even during Friday prayers.
Confirming the incident, Shahjahanpur’s superintendent of police (SP) S Anand spoke to ANI and said, “Few people from West Bengal en route to Rajasthan in a bus were found reading namaz on the road in Shahjahanpur. Challans were issued and they were informed that it was not allowed after which these people were left for their journey ahead.”
