Gurugram: Another outfit enters protest fray, heavy security for namaz

GURUGRAM: Namaz will be held under heavy security in the city on Friday with various local outfits threatening to protest at the sites of prayer congregations.
In the second petition this week opposing namaz in open areas, Arya Kendriya Sabha, an outfit describing itself as a ‘central body’ for various Arya Samaj entities, on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Gurugram administration demanding a complete ban on namaz in open areas “to maintain peace and harmony in the city”.
“Namaz is being offered in public places and this has led to confrontation and conflict. Public land should not be used for religious activity. We also oppose when someone constructs a temple on public land, in the same way that we are now opposing namaz on government land,” said Laxman Pahuja, who represents the outfit.
On Tuesday, Samyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, an umbrella outfit of various local groups that had led protests against Friday prayers in open spaces in 2018, had also submitted a similar memorandum. The pressure tactics are similar to 2018 when several fringe groups protested across the city, following which the administration designated 37 places for namaz.
Police said they had made elaborate security arrangements at sensitive spots. “We will not allow anyone to disrupt Friday prayers and urge people not to violate the law,” said ACP Aman Yadav.
Senior officials in police and administration told TOI they had received clear directives from the top that the government didn’t want any kind of disruption. “No one will be allowed to disrupt namaz at designated places,” said an official.
Meanwhile, a Muslim furniture shop owner on Thursday filed a police complaint at the Sector 14 police station against Friday prayers being held in front of his shop in Sector 12. Last week, protesters descended at his shop during namaz, shouting slogans.
Mehmood Khan, the complainant, claimed he had raised the matter with the maulvi but was ignored.
“We requested the imam not to organise the congregation in front of our shop. We were told the prayers were being held with the administration’s permission,” alleged Khan. He added that he was not pressured or forced to file a police complaint.
Shehzad Khan of Muslim Ekta Manch said the Sector 12 venue was provided as an alternative site by the administration after there were protests over namaz at another place. “We don’t want any conflict and are ready to relocate to an alternative site, provided the government allots it,” Khan said. He added that the group planned to offer namaz in Sector 12 on Friday and hoped to be given adequate security by the police and the administration.
Muslim groups had earlier told TOI the city has only 13 mosques, which are far from adequate to accommodate namaz congregations.
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