Muslims praying namaz on Friday are being harassed at Iqra Mosque in Nangloi, Delhi, as per a local news report. It was reported on November 20, by local newspaper, Inquilab, that for past two weeks, Muslims coming to offer namaz at Iqra Mosque were being stopped from offering namaz and were beaten up by a group of people. It has been alleged that the accused, who lives near the mosque, gathered a few other men and even molested women and assaulted them.

The name of the accused has not been reported however, it is stated that a complaint has been filed with the police as well as a complaint has been sent to the LG of Delhi. However, no action has been taken against the miscreant yet. There are other non-Muslim communities living around Iqra Mosque, whoever, they never raised any objection to namaz offering Muslims.

On December 23, NDTV reported that Bajrang Dal members disrupted Friday namaz in sector 69, Gurugram. As per the police, around 15 Bajrang Dal members led by its district security chief Amit Hindu disrupted namaz being offered on namaz site Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). This is a designated open ground namaz site as allotted by the district administration.

In 2021, the district administration allotted Atlas Chowk at HSIIDC Ground, Peepal Chowk in Udyog Vihar phase-2, HSVP land in Udyog Vihar phase-4, Leisure Valley Ground in Sector 29, HSVP land in Sector 42 and HSVP land in Sector 69 for offering Namaz, reported NDTV.

 Amit Hindu said that he will give a memorandum to the deputy commissioner to stop namaz at the site as the worshippers are encroaching the green belt and he also claimed that this site was temporarily allotted.  

The police state that when they reached the spot, the Muslim had already left, and they asked the Bajrang Dal members to vacate the site. No complaint has been filed in this regard.

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With chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, that many Hindutva groups have adopted as war cry, mobs once again set off to disrupt Friday namaz in Gurugram. According to media reports, the group of locals, supported by some right-wing groups, have done this for almost the fourth week in a row. On Friday, October 29, Gurugram police reportedly detained around 30 people. 

Gurugram has designated spots where Muslims offer namaz. Of late, right-wing groups have been protesting this wherever Muslims have gathered for prayers. According to news reports, last week, Muslims offering prayer on a private property in Gurgaon’s Sector 12-A “had to deal with a massive crowd that gathered shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans” This week too the right-wing crowds of “protesters” chanted their slogans, taunting the local administration, to “wake up.”

According to news reports, there was heavy police deployment in Sector 12-A and around 30 protesters were detained. This area had seen such right-wing protests earlier as well. According to NDTV, SDM Anita Chaudhary said, “Everything is peaceful here. We have detained people who were here to disrupt namaz. We tried to negotiate with them over the last few weeks (but) have taken swift action today,” adding  “People have offered namaz in 37 designated places (and) full protection will be given to people who are offering namaz.”

However, no amount of official action and warning seems to have dissuaded the goons who continue to land up at namaz sites. According to reports, some residents of Sector 47 claim “mischievous elements” or “Rohingya refugees, use the prayers as an excuse to commit crimes in the area.”   

These residents in sector 47 chant “stop namaz in open spaces” and “offer namaz in mosque” and compelled the Police to ask the Muslims to offer namaz away from the designated site earlier this month. That incident marked the third consecutive week where such protests were carried out by the residents, reeking of communal disharmony and intention to disturb public order and peace.

The residents have even written to the deputy commissioner raising their concerns. The spot in Sector 47 is a designated site for offering namaz, and is among the 37 such sites where prayers can be offered in the open. Such arrangements were made in 2018 and have been followed since then, as some disturbances had taken place and Muslim and Hindu communities had then reached an agreement. Yet, these residents refuse to accept this and demand written proof of such agreement and argue that they were not consulted for the same.

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