Gurugram: Amid the ongoing row in Gurugram over permissions to hold public Namaz at designated sites, right-wing Hindu outfits this Friday turned up in large numbers at two of the 29 spots designated for public prayers — and performed a public Govardhan Puja to mark their protest against public prayers. Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra was also at the event along with Karni Sena chief Suraj Pal Amu — both of whom spoke at length.
The prayer sites at Sector-12A and Sector-47 have for weeks now seen disruptions by resident welfare associations and right-wing Hindu outfits such as Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad — most of them choosing to play Hindu chants and prayers on loudspeakers — specifically when local Muslims were performing Namaz.
After the first protests in Sector-47, the Sector-12A site was offered to locals as an alternate site, following which protests erupted there too. After this, under pressure from the Sanyukta Sangharsh Hindu Samiti (SSHS), the district administration revoked permission for public namaz at eight sites across the city and made plans for a committee to "review" all spots for public prayers and publish a new list.
Even though both the Sector-12A and Sector-47 sites are still among the 29 designated spots for public Namaz, the SSHS first issued an ultimatum that it will hold a puja at the Sector-12A site, following which on Friday, they blocked the site meant for offering Namaz and held a Govardhan Puja ceremony. There was a smaller gathering of Hindu outfits at the Sector-47 site as well.
As a result, local Muslims in these areas refrained from performing Namaz there this Friday. At around 3:00 pm, Shehzad Khan of the Muslim Ekta Manch tried to enter the Sector-12 A site to donate Rs 5,100 for the Govardhan Puja ceremony but he was prevented from doing so by the police stationed there — who said it might lead to some kind of unrest.
Invoking Shaheen Bagh, BJP leader Mishra, who is known for his inflammatory speeches during the anti-CAA protests and just before the Delhi riots (2020), said, "You cannot encourage this stubbornness of organising prayers and religious functions in public spaces. On that account we Hindus can have the right to occupy public spaces for religious functions and prayers 365 days a year. You have to respect the constitution and if citizens at large hold objections, you should respect citizens' will... Just as arteries and veins are crucial for the functioning of the body, roads and public spaces are also significant for functioning of the country.
"For your politics you blocked Shaheen Bagh and caused inconveniences to the public at large but that did not weaken us and we did not take back CAA. Whether it be not bursting crackers during Diwali to other issues, why is it that it is only Hindus that are bound by the rule of law."
Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Surender Jain continued the equally aggressive tirade, saying that Indian Muslims should go to Pakistan if they wished to offer Namaz publicly.
"Those who used to offer Namaz in the open asked for Pakistan and that was given to you, now you are free to go to that country if you do not want to respect public sentiments. We will now not allow Friday Namaz in open spaces as in doing so we are encouraging land jihad and terrorism," Jain said.