'Open for All With No Discrimination': Gurgaon Gurudwara Offers Space for Namaz

The Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha said it was open to all communities for prayers.

Residents of Gurgaon’s sector 47 protesting against the offering of namaz in an open designated site.

(Photo: Screenshot of the video)

After several sites designated for namaz in Gurgaon were seized in the wake of objecting 'locals and residents' welfare associations (RWAs)', members of the Sikh community have offered premises of gurudwaras for Muslims to pray.

The Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Sabzi Mandi, Gurgaon, has five places of worship under its aegis which will now be open to all communities to pray in Sadar Bazar, Sector 39, Sector 46, Model Town and Jacobpura, The Indian Express reported.

Speaking to news agency ANI, President of Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sherdil Singh Sidhu asserted:

It's 'Guru Ghar', open for all communities with no discrimination. There shouldn't be any politics here. Basement is now open for Muslim brothers who want to offer 'Jumme ki namaz'.

Sidhu stated that Muslims should be allowed to offer Nawaz in an open space and there should be no fight over such petty issues. "People who were offering namaz in open sought administration's permission and those who had problem should have approached administration before attacking them," he added.

In the wake of COVID-related hinderances, he urged people to visit in batches of 30-40 and maintain social distancing, The Indian Express reported.

Last week, Akshay Yadav, a Hindu businessman had offered the premises of his shop for namaz in Gurgaon's Sector 12.

Background

The past few months have seen repeated turmoil on Namaz sites across Gurgaon, especially in Sector 12A. The site in Sector 12A is one of 29 "designated" for offering namaz after an agreement between Hindus and Muslims following similar clashes in 2018.

Until 2 November, there were 37 designated sites when the Gurugram administration withdrew permission to offer namaz at eight sites.

Member allegedly associated with Hindutva outfits had occupied the namaz site in Sector 12A to stop Muslims from praying and insisted on building a volleyball court instead as recently as 12 November.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and Hindustan Times.)