Several detained in Gurugram for protesting against 'namaz'

The protesters were shouting slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' and carrying pamphlets against 'namaz'

The Gurugram police detained several members of Hindu outfits for disrupting Muslims offering 'namaz' (prayers) from the Sector-12 area in Gurugram on Friday.

The protesters were shouting slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram' and carrying pamphlets against 'namaz'.

Around 500 police personnel were deployed at five spots where Muslims offer 'namaz' in the city on Friday as a precautionay measure following threats of disruption by right wing Hindu groups if prayers are offered in the open.

The five designated prayer sites include DLF Phase-3, Sector 12A, Sector 14, Sector 56 and Sector 47.

In 2018, the district administration designated 37 sites in the city for Muslims to offer Friday prayers following which there were protests by Hindu groups.

This was the fourth consecutive week when Hindu outfits again started staging protests against Friday prayers.

Earlier, the group had disrupted one of the sites in Sector 47.

Residents and locals had joined the protest, chanting Hindu prayers at the time of 'namaz' on consecutive Fridays over the past two weeks.

Apart from this, on October 26, Hindu groups, under the banner of Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner Gurugram stating that they would not tolerate Friday prayers in the open.

However, officials claimed that they are prepared to tackle any issue and no one will be allowed to disturb the law and order situation across the district.

A senior police official said that they have deployed several police personnel to maintain law and order at all sensitive spots.

"We have elaborate security arrangements and a senior police officer will patrol sensitive areas who will ensure safety and security of people offering 'namaz'," he said.

Haji Shehzad Khan, chairman of the Muslim Ekta Manch, said, "We are following all necessary directions given by the local administration. We don't want to disturb the law and order situation, but if they (Hindu groups) target us, we will not sit silent."

A furniture shop owner Mehmood Khan filed a written complaint in Sector 14 police station that on last Friday, residents and some other people staged a protest against 'namaz' in an open area.

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