Gurgaon Admin Withdraws Permission For Muslims To Offer Namaz At 8 Sites After 'Objection' From Residents

Four of the eight sites are Bengali Basti (Sector 49), Block V of DLF Phase 3, Surat Nagar Phase 1 and an area near the DLF Square Tower on Jacaranda Marg.

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New Delhi: The Gurgaon administration Tuesday withdrew the permission for Muslims to offer namaz at eight of the 37 public places designated as prayer sites, ANI reported. The administration said that there were "objections" from the local residents because of which the permission was withdrawn, and added that "permission will not be given" at other sites too if similar objections were raised there.

"Consent from the administration is necessary for namaz in any public and open place," the Gurgaon authorities said, adding, "If local people have objections at other places also, permission will not be given to offering namaz there too."

A committee comprising the Gurgaon sub divisional magistrate, an assistant commissioner of police, and members of religious organisations and civil society groups will work towards resolving the issue and ensuring that local residents do not face any problem in offering prayers, the administration said.Four of the eight sites are Bengali Basti (Sector 49), Block V of DLF Phase 3, Surat Nagar Phase 1 and an area near the DLF Square Tower on Jacaranda Marg.

The other sites are on the outskirts of Kherki Majra and Daulatabad villages, near the Ramgarh village in Sector 68, and an area between Rampur village and Nakhrola Road. Namaz can be offered, the administration said, at mosques or eidgahs (or open-air prayer sites), or at the rest of the 29 private or designated sites.

The administration said the committee mentioned above, constituted by Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Yash Garg, would hold discussions on identifying places to offer namaz, and also ensure namaz is not offered on roads or public places, and that consent is taken from local residents at the time of designating a spot as a prayer site.

On several occasions over the past few weeks, residents of some Gurgaon neighbourhoods and members of right-wing groups have protested against Friday namaz at public grounds.

"Locals staged a protest against Friday namaz at a ground in Sector 47 for the fourth consecutive week by performing puja. Efforts are ongoing for a solution, including finding an alternate place for namaz," ACP Aman Yadav had said.

"Earlier also two rounds (of talks) were held under the chairmanship of the Sub Divisional Magistrate (Badshahpur). We are making efforts to find a solution and resolve the issue amicably," he added.

Sector 47 residents had claimed that the ground in question had been offered for prayers only for one day.

"The residents have shown us the list which was issued three years ago. We have to verify the list from our end also. If the ground had been given to the Muslim community for a single day, then the administration will take necessary action," ACP Yadav said.

According to the ANI report, the administration has also called upon religious communities to maintain law and order; extensive security arrangements have been made by the police in this regard, it said.