Out of 37 designated spots for Muslims to offer prayers in Gurugram, 8 were withdrawn from the list by the city administration. The announcement comes following recent protests from ring wing groups and locals supporting them against people praying namaz in these areas.
The sites were designated for namaz back in 2018 through mutual agreement.
However, the Gurugram administration cancelled them on Tuesday after receiving “objections” from locals. It also warned that other places will also be cancelled if similar “objections” were raised by the residents of other areas.
Withdrawing its earlier order, authorities of the city said, “Consent from the administration is necessary for namaz in any public and open place. If local people have objections at other places also, permission will not be given to offer namaz there too.”
ALSO READ: “Band karo, band karo!”- protester disrupt Friday prayers at Gurgaon; 30 detained
Block V of DLF Phase 3, Surat Nagar Phase 1, an area close to the DLF Square Tower on Jacaranda Marg, and Bengali Basti (Sector 49) make up four of the eight cancelled spots. Another two were the ones on the outskirts of Kherki Majra and Daulatabad villages while the rest two near Ramgarh village in sector 68 and an area between Rampur village and Nakhrola Road.
As per the rules of the Gurugram administration, namaz can be offered at private places, mosques, eidgahs, or in a spot designated for it. It added that the Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Yash Garg constituting panel will be finalizing the sites for the same.
To ensure that no local resident facing any problem with namaz, the discussion will see members of both religious groups and civil society groups, it said. Their due consent will be taken before permitting any spot for prayers. The committee that also includes a Sub Divisional Magistrate and an Assistant Commissioner of Police as members will oversee that namaz is not offered on public places or roads, it added.
The chain of events started after some locals of Sector 12-A and Sector 47 took to the streets to protest against a group of Muslim men praying namaz on the spots designated for the purpose in Gurugram. Ring wing groups alleged that the sites were used for criminal activities.
The Friday namaz was also disrupted last week by protestors and 30 people were detained, though no arrests were made in the matter and there is no information of any further action against those detained. The protestors were raising slogans and shouting at those praying to stop namaz and vacate the place.
“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.
In a twist of events, the residents of Sector 47 claimed that the public space was allowed for namaz for just one day. They have also allegedly produced some paperwork dating back to 2018 that proves it. The police said that if found true, “action” will be taken.
Speaking about the matter, ACP Yadav added, “We have to verify the list from our end also. If the ground had given to Muslim community for a single day, then the administration will take necessary action.”
