After backlash, CM Khattar backtracks on 'namaaz' comment; says 'Complain to police if someone bothers'

The statement comes a day after Khattar had stated while addressing a press conference before leaving for a 10-day-tour to Israel and the United Kingdom; that Namaz must be offered at designated places.

Haryana: After facing much criticism over his ‘namaaz’ statement, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday, flipped from his remark and said, “Didn’t stop anyone from reading Namaaz in open, but asked to seek police help if anyone is bothering you for doing so”. The statement comes a day after Khattar had stated while addressing a press conference before leaving for a 10-day-tour to Israel and the United Kingdom; that Namaz must be offered at designated places. "Our point of view is that namaz should be offered in the precincts of religious places like mosques and Eidgahs, and if there is shortage of place for offering namaz, it should be done at private places," Khattar said. The statement had come in the wake of alleged disruptions to namaz by right-wing groups at multiple locations in Gurgaon. While on one hand Khattar clarified on his statement, his minister Anil Vij on Monday said, “If occasionally someone needs to read Namaaz, then they have freedom to do so, but doing so with intent of taking over a place, is wrong. A freedom for the same cannot be granted”. Right-wing outfits have been trying to "disrupt" Friday prayers in Gurgaon over the last two weeks alleging that some people were trying to grab land. Over the last two weeks, there were "disruptions" to namaz at Wazirabad, the Atul Kataria Chowk, the Cyber Park, the Bakhtawar Chowk and at the South City, the police said. The disruptions were caused allegedly by members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal, the Hindu Kranti Dal, the Gau Rakshak Dal and the Shiv Sena, they said.