Amid the ongoing tussle over the offering of Friday Namaz in the open, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during his visit to Gurugram on Friday asserted that the offering of Namaz in the open cannot be tolerated.
"We have withdrawn the permission given to designated places for offering Friday prayers at certain sites. An amicable solution to the matter would be found in a fresh approach before the district administration," Khattar said in a statement. He further said offering public prayers is leading to clashes and that should not happen."A solution will be found to sort out the issue," he said.
Earlier the Hindu and Muslim organisations had agreed on 18 new sites for Friday prayers in the open, include 12 mosques, dargah, waqf board properties and six public areas.
However, disruptions of ‘jumma’ prayers were again reported in Gurugram. Some Hindu groups refused to allow Friday Namaz in Sector 37 industrial area on Friday, instead claiming to hold a condolence meeting for Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, his wife and other Army personnel who lost their lives in a chopper crash on December 8.
Trucks, tractors and other vehicles were also found parked hap hazardously at Sector-37 and Hero Honda Namaz locations, making it difficult for people to pray there. Meanwhile, members of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti and the Muslim organisation jointly paid tributes to General Rawat in Sector-29.
Namaz was also disrupted in a park located in Sector-44 by members of the Hindu Right-wing, but police presence in the area prevented any major incident. At Sector-37 Namaz location local villagers and Hindu Right-wing members said that next Friday, they will organise a family kitchen (Bhandara) at the same location.
