We Won’t Tolerate Namaz In Open Spaces, Says Haryana CM

New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Muslims should not offer Friday prayers in open spaces in Gurgaon.

He said this while withdrawing an earlier agreement — reached after clashes with members of the Hindu community in 2018 — that permitted namaz at the city’s designated places.

Khattar’s statement comes in response to the row between the two communities which saw right-wing Hindu groups repeatedly harass and intimidate Muslims looking to pray at agreed sites.

According to the Chief Minister, the Gurgaon administration is renegotiating with all parties involved and would work out an “amicable solution” that doesn’t encroach on anyone’s rights.

Till then, people should offer prayers at their homes and other places of worship.

“I have spoken to the police and this issue must be resolved. We don’t have problems with anyone praying at places of worship. Those places have been built for this purpose,” Khattar told the reporters.

“But these should not be done in the open. We won’t tolerate the custom of offering namaz in the open,” the Chief Minister added.

ALSO READ: Pollution Control: After Delhi, Haryana Orders Closure Of Schools In 4 Districts