Bhagwat Katha programme cancelled in Greater Noida

Greater Noida: A day after Noida police issued notice to multinational companies against offering Namaz in open by their employees, the Greater Noida authority along with senior administrative officials and police removed the tent from government's land in sector 37 of Greater Noida which was placed for a Hindu religious event.

Officials said that the group did not have requisite permission to perform such ceremony from the district administration.

As per senior officials of Greater Noida authority, the program was cancelled around 10 am on Wednesday.

"We received an information about the program which was being held on a 1,000-sq metre land area which belongs to the Greater Noida Authority. It was found that no permission was sought by the organisers for the programme so we undertook a drive and cancelled the program," a senior officer of Greater Noida authority said.

The officer further said that a nine-day Bhagwat Katha, the Hindu religious programme, was scheduled to begin from Wednesday on the land. "The organisers have placed tents and loudspeakers at the site which were removed. We directed the organisers to first seek permission from district administration to perform such religious ceremony," the officer added.

Following the incident, several people staged protest outside the authority and raised slogans. Earlier, Noida police issued notice to around 23 multinational companies in sector 58 police station area to stop their Muslim employees from gathering in a local park without permission for offering Friday namaz. The administration said that such religious gatherings at public places are unauthorised and cannot be performed without getting permission.