‘No guidelines issued to state governments on usage of open land for namaz’: Minister

The government’s stand assumes significance in the context of a festering row in BJP-ruled Haryana, where Muslims were harassed over the past months while trying to offer namaz in open land.
Representational image of Namaz prayers.
Representational image of Namaz prayers.

NEW DELHI:  Amid the controversy over Friday namaz in Gurugram, the Centre on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, told Parliament that it had not issued any guidelines to the state governments regarding the use of open government land for various religious activities.

“Land is a state subject and it is the responsibility of the state/UT concerned to look after matters related to land. Ministry of Home Affairs has not issued any guidelines to the states regarding the use of open government land for various religious activities,” said Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.

He was responding to a question from AAP MP Sushil Gupta in the Rajya Sabha. The government’s stand assumes significance in the context of a festering row in BJP-ruled Haryana, where Muslims in Gurugram were harassed over the past months while trying to offer namaz at an open land owned by the state government.

Last week Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had said Muslims in Gurugram would not be allowed to offer namaz in open spaces, withdrawing an earlier agreement reached after clashes with the members of the Hindu community. “We won’t tolerate the custom of offering namaz in the open,” Khattar said. The Haryana chief minister’s comment came under severe criticism.

National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah termed Khattar’s decision “totally wrong”. “I’d have accepted it had this ban been on every religion. But by this pick and choose, it is clear, the target is one particular religion... which is not allowed by the Constitution,” he said.
Right-wing Hindu groups spread cow dung on a prayer site and shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the face of Muslims offering namaz at the spot.

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