Gurugram Muslims Offer Friday Prayers Under Tight Police Watch

Mulsim worshipers offer prayers at one of the open places in Gurugram.  

(Photo: Shadab Moizee/ The Quint Hindi)

Weeks after some right-wing Hindu groups disrupted the namaaz at several open places in Haryana's Gurugram, Muslim worshippers on Friday, 11 May, offered prayers under a close police watch. The police had permitted the worshippers to organise namaaz at 47 designated open places in the city.

Several Muslim groups had also stationed their own volunteers to avoid any undue incident. Despite tight security, some right-wing Hindu groups caused chaos near Sikanadarpur Metro station, but the police took control of the situation quickly and chased them away.

Jatin, a member of a right-wing Hindu group involved in disrupting namaaz in the last few weeks, told The Quint that the government had permitted Muslims to offer prayers only at 47 places, and it was a victory for the group.

However, another member Raju Sikandarpuriya quickly butted in, pledging not to allow "any Muslim group to occupy any place to offer prayers". However, the group ran away as soon as the police arrived at the scene.

Imam Inamul Hasan, who leads the prayer congregation at the Lazer Valley Parking, told The Quint that previously he led the prayers in one of the nearby parks where close to 800 worshippers gathered every week.

Our objective is not to occupy any place. Hindu brothers who live near Iffco Tower also never had an issue. I fail to understand the problem people had at other places. We will offer prayers only where the government allows.

Imam Inamul Hasan

On 20 April , members of a right-wing Hindu group, Hindu Jagaran Samiti, had disrupted the namaaz and chanted "Jai Sri Ram" slogans in a park near Gurugram's Sector 53, leading to a massive controversy.

The administration, after the protests from the Hindu groups, asked the Muslim community for a list of places where they pray in the city. Muslim groups had handed over a list of 70 places, but the administration permitted them to pray at 47 places only.

(This story was first published in Quint Hindi)

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