Give permission for more mosques, free Waqf properties from government control, says AIMBPL general secretary Khalid Saifullah Rahmani

NEW DELHI – All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has taken strong objection to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s statement supporting those who are preventing Muslims from offering Friday prayers at designated sites in Gurgaon. AIMBPL general secretary Khalid Saifullah Rahmani has termed the development as “unacceptable, unethical and unjust”.

For weeks, Hindutva groups have been disrupting the Juma namaz by holding intimidating protests at the designated sites where Muslims offer congregational prayer in Gurgaon. Instead of acting against these disruptors, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday lent voice to the disrupters.

“Namaz in open spaces, which has happened here, will not be tolerated at all. An amicable solution will be found by sitting together,” said Khattar.

Reacting to this statement, Rahmani said in a statement that Muslims are forced to offer namaz in the open because the government did not give permission to build mosques in Gurgaon.

“Muslims are offering prayers in the open due to lack of mosques… They face rain and sunlight. Even in such conditions, stopping Muslims from offering namaz is deplorable and unacceptable,” said Rahmani.

He also pointed out that the government is also occupying waqf property at several places. “The government is not returning those pieces of land but it is stopping Muslims from offering namaz,” he said.

Calling those who are disrupting the namaz “terrorists”, AIMBPL demanded action against them and resolve the issue as soon as possible. He alleged that the disrupters belong to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal.

Apart from AIMBPL, there are others, too, who have taken objection to Haryana CM’s statement.

The politbureau of the CPI (M) strongly condemned Khattar’s statement calling it “extremely objectionable”.

“In the last few months, every Friday, people belonging to organizations like Bajrang Dal have disturbed or prevented Muslims from offering prayers in these designated spaces.  The police have stood by allowing this miscarriage of justice to take place. Instead of ensuring that miscreants are punished and prayers allowed to be undertaken peacefully, the Chief Minister is denying the basic Constitutional right to one section of Indian citizens,” said the CPI (M).

CPI (M) also demanded that the Haryana government make arrangements to ensure that Friday prayers proceed peacefully and that necessary permissions are given to the Muslim community to construct mosques and gain control of Waqf properties.

Congress Party also criticized Khattar. “Under the BJP govt, the ones following the law are targeted, not those who break it,” said party spokesperson Shama Mohammed.

Delhi University Professor and rights activist Apoorvanand pointed to the lack of mosques in Gurgaon. “The government has finally spoken the language of the violent hooligans,” he said.