New Delhi: Is talk about namaz on the streets meaningless?
At least Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader and Union minister of food processing industries Chirag Paswan believes so.
Replying to questions at a Times Now event, Paswan said that discussions on that matter are ‘faltu’ or meaningless and there are far more pressing issues that require attention.
“This is meaningless talk. It shouldn’t even be discussed. There are much more significant issues in the country that deserve our focus. The problem arises when we dwell on such irrelevant topics, creating unnecessary tension in society and the nation. Without reason, divisions are created between communities. This is meaningless,” he responded.
The LJP is an NDA alliance partner. Recently, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh forbade the offering of Eid namaz on streets at certain locations, including Sambhal, where violence led to the death of five people in police firing.
Paswan said that people have been offering namaz on the streets for years. “If we weren’t discussing this, you might be asking me about my work as the food processing minister. But now, those issues are getting sidelined,” he said.
When the UP decision was mentioned, the young leader said: “But I don’t agree with them. That’s what I’m saying. I’m an educated youth from the 21st century. We should not interfere in religious matters. Religion is a personal matter. I hosted an Iftar party and attended it wearing a tilak. That’s my faith. I won’t forget my own religious values to respect yours, but these matters should stay behind closed doors. Some people follow a certain faith, others don’t. Many Hindus don’t wear a tilak — does that make them any less Hindu? This is about personal faith. Why try to generalize it?”
“I am also referring to my allies. If they are saying this, I don’t agree with their kind of politics. There are much bigger issues to address than talking about Hindus and Muslims,” he added.
BJP leader and MP Ravi Kishan has appealed to both Hindus and Muslims to celebrate their festivals without disrupting public life, emphasising that namaz is best offered in mosques.
