New Delhi: Amid the ongoing row over namaz being offered outdoors on government-owned land in Gurugram, the city yet again witnessed a flare up on Friday after the protesters disrupted prayers at Sector 12 A chowk.
Earlier, similar tensed scenes were witnessed in the city’s Sector 47 area with the protestors objecting to namaz being offered outdoors on government-owned land and demanded that it stop or move indoors.
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Taking note of the same, Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar appealed to the people to offer namaz or prayers only at specific places identified by the administration and government.
“The people in Gurugram protested against offering namaz on a vacant piece of land. I want to appeal to people to offer namaz or prayers at specific places only which are identified by administration and government,” he said, ANI reported.
Amid heavy deployment of security personnel, the protesters, including those affiliated with the Bajrang Dal, raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ slogans at Sector 12 A chowk and alleged namaz was being offered “illegally” by “outsiders”, The Indian Express reported.
If namaz is offered at the same site next Friday and an “unfortunate incident” were to occur then it would be the administration’s responsibility, the protesters told police, The Indian Express reported.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier last week said that everyone had a right to pray.
“No one should hurt sentiments nor should anyone disrupt prayers... and if they are praying at designated sites, as suggested by district administration, that should not be disrupted,” Khattar said after the protests in Sector 47.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the “issue should be resolved amicably”.