The chief minister's remarks came in light of the ongoing protests by Hindutva groups against the Muslim community offering namaz in government-allocated public spaces.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar told the state assembly on Tuesday, December 21 that no member of any religious community should hold prayers in public places, the Indian Express reported.
Khattar’s remarks were in reference to the ongoing protests by Hindutva groups against the offering of Friday namaz by members of the Muslim community at various sites in Gurugram which had earlier been designated by the government.
The issue was being discussed in the Vidhan Sabha for the second time since its session began last Friday, this time with Nuh Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed raising the topic during Zero Hour.
“Some elements are repeatedly disrupting Friday prayers. The Constitution of India gives the right to practise one’s religion. No one has the right to disrupt prayers. In Gurugram, thousands of crores of investment has been pumped in and the city is a symbol of development. What message will be sent out from Gurugram if one cannot offer prayers as per one’s choice?” the newspaper quoted Ahmed as saying.
Khattar responded by saying that people of all faiths hold prayers at designated religious places, such as temples, mosques, gurudwaras and so on and that specific permissions are given for holding “big festivals and programmes in the open.” He went on that it was “not appropriate” for members of any community to display a “show of strength which provokes sentiments of another community”Khattar also said that confrontation arises when people practice their religion outside of “certain places” and that it was the “responsibility of all to maintain a peaceful atmosphere and to see that there is no confrontation in society.”
“There are annual events of all faiths, be it Dussehra, Ram Lila, Urs and these are held with due permission. But in routine, daily or weekly (prayers), there are designated places. And where there is confrontation by offering prayers in open spaces, things should be resolved amicably,” the chief minister said.
Ahmed also raised the point that illegal encroachments into Muslim spaces, especially places of worship, are driving Muslims to offer prayers in the open. “Thousands of Muslims come to Gurugram in search of employment and there is not enough space for them to offer prayers,” Ahmed said, also noting that protecting minorities was the responsibility of the chief minister.
After some communal skirmishes in Gurugram in 2018, the government had allocated some of its land across the city to Muslims for Friday prayers, a move seen as a truce between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
However, in September of this year, a video shared by public figure Mahesh Vikram Hegde on Twitter showing a man objecting to the prayers went viral. Following this, right-wing media channels and social media users began amplifying this call to prevent the offering of namaz in public spaces in the city and by October 8, this grew into a full-scale protest in the area.
Thousands of restrictions are imposed when we celebrate our festivals
— Mahesh Vikram Hegde 🇮🇳 (@mvmeet) September 26, 2021
But these offer nam@z on public property & even misbehave with our sisters
Incident is from Gurugram; Isn't this a crime? pic.twitter.com/BgNoIUG6Cp
The Hindutva machinery in the state (and across the nation through media coverage) escalated the issue, forcing the Muslim community to stop offering namaz at the spots which had earlier been provided to them by the government.
On December 10, Khattar withdrew this agreement and said that Muslims should not offer prayers in open spaces in Gurugram. While a “compromise” is still being ironed out, no action has been taken against the Hindutva mobs who shouted bigoted slogans against the Muslim’s offering prayers and, even with the chief ministers latest remarks, the onus to maintain peace is being shifted to the Muslim community rather than the Hindutva aggressors.
SOURCE ; THE WIRE
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(With input from news agency language)
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