Several Detained in Gurgram Over Protests Against Friday Namaz

File photo of Friday namaz being offered in Sector 47 locality of Gurugram.

(Photo: Eshwar/The Quint)

Around 50 people, including men and women were detained after they raised slogans against Friday prayers being offered by the Muslim community in the Sector 12 area of Gurugram on Friday, 28 October.

Slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' were also raised by protesters who were detained ahead of the prayers. The protesters also raised slogans against the Gurugram administration and the Haryana government to allow the prayers to take place in open spaces.

The attempts to disrupt Friday prayers in Sector 12 were made for the second consecutive week, with similar protests being held on 22 October.

Speaking to The Quint, Altaf Ahmad, who was present at the site: "Spreading hate and lies, raising slogans against Muslims and disrupting Friday namaz has become a focal point for right wing groups in Gurgaon. It's time that people from all-faiths and all walks of life come together to stand against this hate mongering."

Meanwhile, this is the sixth consecutive week of protests and the disruption of Friday namaz in Gurugram, with locals and right-wing groups demanding that the prayers by the Muslim community cannot be offered in open spaces.

"The right wing groups have been making false allegations that Muslims offering namaz are outsiders. We asked the Muslims at Juma Namaz of Sector 12, where have they came from ?" Ahmad said.

"Almost 100% of them declared by raise of hands and in one voice that they are from Sector 12. They have been mostly working as daily wagers in the neighborhood market of car repair and workshops who utilise their lunch break for Juma Namaz. They cannot afford to go to a far-off place as their employers will neither allow them to go on an extended break nor will they give holiday on a week day," he added.

For several weeks through September and October, locals and right wing groups staged protests in Sector 47 against namaz being offered at a designated site in the locality over safety concerns. While the protests in Sector 47 were suspended for two weeks after 15 October following the administration's intervention, similar protests were held in Sector 12 on 22 October.

Both Sector 12 and Sector 47 are one of the 37 designated sites by the Haryana government for Muslims to offer namaz on Fridays.