Ggm: Namaz disrupted, 1 site found covered with cow dung

Gurugram: As the Namaz row continues in Gurugram —adjacent to the Capital — local Muslims in Sector 12A were once again this Friday prevented from offering Namaz on a plot of land designated for that purpose as a group of protesters, including those from Hindu right-wing outfits, occupied the parts of the land for the entire day and placed cow-dung cakes on other parts of the land.

From early in the day, a group of people began occupying the public space where Namaz is offered and made sure that they did not leave till evening. In addition to a substantial number of people being stationed, cow dung cakes were also placed in the area by certain locals.

Not willing to compromise on their demands, the members of right-wing groups have now stated they now plan to build a volleyball court in this area.

"There is no question of us now allowing Namaz to be offered over here. We are not against a religion but we are against the inconveniences that are being caused to people at large. Not only in Sector 12-A but our objective is to stop offering public Namaz in all public spaces of Gurugram," said Mahaveer, a resident of Sector 12A, who was one of the protesters there on Friday.

Significantly, one more designated prayer site was encroached upon by protesting outfits this Friday in Sector-18. Friday prayers at 19 other designated sites were held peacefully, according to officials. Since the row began more than a month ago, the number of sites designated for Namaz has come down from 37 to 20 now.

Right-wing outfits such as Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Karni Sena continue to try and disrupt Friday prayers in Gurugram even as the district administration claims to be talking to both Hindu and Muslim organisations for a peaceful resolution. While Hindu groups have sought a complete ban on public prayers, Muslim delegations have said that they are willing to offer prayers indoors but there were not enough mosques for this. They said that 19 of Waqf properties, including mosques, needed to be freed from encroachment.

While the Muslim Ekta Manch has said they want to talk and find a resolution, Hindu groups have resorted to routinely issuing ultimatums.

On Friday, in Sector-18, along Sirhaul, a group of Hindu right-wing protesters disrupted the offering of Namaz of Muslim devotees. Following a similar pattern as in the case of earlier protests, the protesters shouted slogans of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Jai Shree Ram". Once again, protesters demanded that the public administration should not allow Namaz in the open spaces. Despite heavy police presence, the Namaz there was successfully disrupted.

The challenges for offering Namaz in the open can increase further with Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij now also stating religious events should be only organised in religious places only — contradicting his Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who had said that places once designated for prayers of any religion, should be meddled with.