Malegaon namaz row: FIR registered after prayers offered inside civic office

A political controversy erupted in Maharashtra after a video showing namaz being offered inside the electricity department office of the Malegaon Municipal Corporation went viral prompting police to register a first information report FIR against several individualsMaharashtra Malegaon Police has registered an FIR against two named and 4 to 5 unnamed persons in the matter of offering Namaaz in the electricity department office Malegaon police has registered the FIR under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS and the Maharashtrahellipmdash ANI ANI February 26 2026Malegaon NAMAJ at Municipal Corporation Office FIR No 322026 has been registered under BNS sections of unlwaful assembly assault to a public servant Sections 1322921892190 amp Maharashtra Police Act Section 371373 135 against Lukman Salim Ikka amp Others pictwittercomEQSioQruH1mdash Kirit Somaiya KiritSomaiya February 26 2026The incident took place during a protest by residents over alleged unresolved electricity supply issues in one of Malegaonrsquos wards The demonstration was led by Lukman Kamal president of the Malegaon Lok Sangharsh Samiti As the protest coincided with the Asr prayer during the holy month of Ramadan some protesters offered namaz in congregation inside the municipal office premisesThe video of the prayers circulated widely on social media sparking debate over the appropriateness of holding religious observances inside a government officeFollowing the controversy Malegaon Police registered a first information report FIR against two named persons mdash Lukman and Salim Ikka mdash and four to five unidentified individuals The case has been filed under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS including sections related to unlawful assembly and obstruction or assault of a public servant along with sections of the Maharashtra Police Act concerning illegal assembly and disruption of official dutiesBharatiya Janata Party BJP leader Kirit Somaiya wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking strict action He said offering namaz inside a government office was unacceptable and called for an FIR and disciplinary action against those responsibleldquoNamaz cannot be offered inside government offices Whoever is responsible should face strict action The police should also register an FIRrdquo he saidMumbai Maharashtra BJP leader Kirit Somaiya says An FIR has now been registered by Malegaon Police However they went to the Malegaon municipal office under the electricity department and offered Namaz Earlier when a government employee tried to intervene I had alsohellip pictwittercomNd2w59ePcgmdash IANS ians_india February 26 2026Malegaon namaz row Mixed political reactions as leaders debate religion in government spacesThe episode drew sharp reactions from other political leaders as well Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Narayan Rane condemned the act and demanded action BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar termed it illegal and called for strict measures while Shiv Sena Member of Legislative Assembly MLA Sanjay Gaikwad said religion should not be mixed with administration and government offices should not be used as places of worshipHowever Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar state president Shashikant Shinde cautioned against politicising the issueldquoIn Maharashtra there had never been unrest in the name of religion or caste before but today we are seeing that people are trying to politicise any issuerdquo he saidMumbai Maharashtra On Namaz offered at Malegaon Municipal Corporation electricity department NCP SP State President Shashikant Shinde says In Maharashtra there had never been unrest in the name of religion or caste before but today we are seeing that people are trying tohellip pictwittercom08rHCp66JLmdash IANS ians_india February 26 2026