'Girls Come Alone And Wait For Their Dates': Shahi Imam On Jama Masjid Order

The Jama Masjid administration issued an order banning the entry of women coming alone or in groups to the historical place in Old Delhi.

New Delhi: As Jama Masjid in Delhi has landed in a controversy after its order banning the entry of unaccompanied women or girls, whether alone or in groups, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, reacted to the order and said the order is not applicable to those coming to offer prayers, reported news agency PTI. "Jama Masjid is a place of worship and people are welcome for that. But girls coming alone and waiting for their dates... this is not what this place is meant for. The restriction is on that," Bukhari told PTI.

"Any such place, be it a mosque, temple or gurudwara is a place of worship (ibadat ki jagah hai) and there is no restriction on anyone coming for that purpose. Just today, a group of 20-25 girls visited and they were allowed to enter," Bukhari added.

Earlier today, the Jama Masjid administration issued an order banning the entry of women coming alone or in groups to the historical place in Old Delhi. However, there is no restriction on women coming with families or married couples.

"There is no restriction on girls/women coming with families, no restriction on married couples either. When women come alone, they indulge in improper acts, shoot videos. The ban is to stop this," ANI quoted PRO Sabiullah Khan as saying. "This cannot be a meeting point; people should not think of this place as a park or a spot to shoot TikTok videos. It's not right for any religious place — be it mosque, temple, or gurdwara," he said.

The notice has been put up at the entry gate of Jama Masjid. Speaking on the matter, General Secretary of RWA Jama Masjid Mohd Salman Qureshi said that it is not against any one gender. The decision has been taken to restrain boys and girls who come to a religious place like Jama Masjid, sit alone and do wrong things, and make video reels.