“Everyone should get the facility (to offer prayers), but nobody should infringe on others’ rights. It will not be allowed,” Khattar said. On withdrawing the district administration’s decision to earmark some places for holding prayers in open spaces, he said, “We have told the police and the Deputy Commissioner that this issue has to be resolved…. If somebody offers namaz, holds paaths at one’s place we have no objection to that. “Religious places are built for this very purpose that people go there and offer prayers. Such programmes should not be held in open spaces,” he said. “Confrontation should be avoided by offering namaz in open spaces. We will also not allow confrontation (to build between two sides),” he said. Over the past some months, members of some Hindu outfits have been gathering at sites where the Muslim community offers ‘namaz’ in open space, and raising “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. Three years ago, the district administration had designated 37 sites in Gurgaon city for Muslims to offer Friday namaz after which there were protests by some Hindu groups. A few months ago, one group started protests against the prayers offered in the open after which there have been protests on Fridays for the past several weeks.
Source: Economic Times
