Muslim groups reject reduced Namaz sites, claim Ggm admin consulted with outsiders

Gurugram: Even as the Gurugram district administration declared that they had reached a compromise and settled on 18 spots for public Namaz, Muslim organisations such as the Muslim Ekta Manch have said that this compromise was reached without their consent, adding that the Muslim group that agreed to this proposal did not comprise locals from Gurugram.

To register their refusal prominent leaders of these Muslim groups that included Haji Shahzad Khan and Altaf Ahmad met the Gurugram District Magistrate and submitted a memorandum stating their rejection.

The Muslim leaders later stated that Muslim Rashtriya Manch and Imam Sagathan who had accepted the proposal of allocation of 18 sites were not residents of Gurugram. Being critical of the Muslim groups unaware of the ground reality of local Muslims facing a shortage of space.

"Sixth of December will again be remembered as Black day for India. Conspiracy was hatched between right wing groups and RSS backed Muslim Rashtriya Manch with respect to further reducing the 37 designated places for offering of Namaz for offering of Namaz," said Altaf Ahmad of Gurugram Nagrik Ekta Manch.

"We as Muslim community of Gurugram feel anguished by the entire incident and have registered our protest with District Magistrate Gurugram on the conspiracy of snatching away our fundamental rights to offer Juma Namaz," Ahmad further said.

Haji Shahzad Khan of Muslim Ekta Manch who has been calmly leading prayers amid efforts to disrupt them at Sector 37 said, "By the proposal that was accepted earlier there are only six sites that will be provided to Muslim devotees as other 12 belong to Muslim groups. If these Muslim representatives had been from Gurugram, they would have known that the population Muslims in Gurugram is approximately five lakh. Are six spaces really going to be enough?"

After coming to know that prominent Muslim groups have refused to accept the proposal as was decided on Monday, Mahaveer Bharadwaj who is heading the Sanyukta Sangharsh Hindu Samiti (SHSS) expressed disappointment over the entire scenario, claiming that by registering their dissent, the Muslims groups were purportedly "trying to spoil the harmonious atmosphere".

Apart from the 12 sites at Jama Masjid (Sadar Bazaar), Idgah (Pataudi), Idgah (Rajiv Chowk), Chauma Gaon Mosque, Shanti Nagar Gurugram, Sector 57 Mosque, Sunheri Mosque (Atul Kataria Chowk), Devi Lal Colony Mosque, Sahi Alwardi Mosque, Sheetla Mata road Mosque, Idgah (Darbaripur) and Idgah (Badshahpur), the six spots of public land are at Atlas Chowk, Udyog Vihar Phase-4, Udyog Vihar Phase-2, HUDA land (Sector-69), HUDA land (Golf Course Road) and Leisure Valley ground.

The Gurugram District Administration has also assured that they would free all the encroached mosques land for Muslim groups following which if required the number of public spaces would be reduced further.