Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday stated that offering namaz in public places will not be tolerated. Withdrawing an earlier agreement that allowed namaz at designated
places in the city, the CM said that Muslims should not offer Friday prayers in open spaces in Gurgaon.
The agreement was reached following clashes with Hindu community members in 2018.
This statement by CM Khattar comes amid a simmering feud between the two communities, in which right-wing Hindu organisations have repeatedly harassed and intimidated Muslims seeking to
pray at agreed-upon sites.
The Gurgaon administration, according to the Chief Minister, is renegotiating with all parties concerned to reach an "amicable solution" that does not compromise
anyone's rights.
“People can pray in their homes and other places of worship till then.”
During a press conference, the chief minister stated, "I have instructed the police to resolve this matter. There is no problem with people offering namaz or puja at approved locations.
Religious sites are set aside for this purpose. However, offering namaz in public places will not be tolerated. The matter will be resolved amicably."
"They have claimed that they have some lands for which permission should be granted. We will check whether any Waqf land has been encroached upon and make it available. People can perform
namaz in their own homes. However, doing so in public places may result in conflict. People's rights should not be compromised," he added.
Last month, the Gurugram administration revoked permission to offer namaz at eight of the 37 permitted sites. According to an official statement from the district administration, the permit
was revoked following an objection by locals and the Resident Welfare Association (RWA).
Outdoor Namaz on government-owned land has sparked a flurry of complaints from right-wing parties, who went so far as to throw cow dung on a prayer spot in November. On other occasions, Muslims who were praying peacefully were met with chants of "Jai Shri Ram."
Tensions also erupted in October when groups of people, whom locals alleged were associated with right-wing organisations, disrupted prayers in Sector 12-A. Photos from the scene showed
a large police presence as Muslims prayed. As many as 30 protesters were detained.
When the protests first made news, Mr Khattar had stated that everyone has the right to pray but added a caution, saying that "those performing prayers should not hinder road traffic."