India / Namaz shouldn't be offered in open, won't be tolerated: Haryana CM on Gurugram row

Gurugram: Offering namaz in public places will not be tolerated, said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday.

Briefing mediapersons, the chief minister said, "I have told Police to resolve this issue. There is no problem with people offering namaz or puja at the designated places. The religious places are designated for that. But the act of offering namaz in open spaces will not be tolerated. The issue will be resolved amicably."

"They have said they have some lands where permission should be given. We will see if there is any land of Waqf that has been encroached so that it can be made available. People can offer namaz at their homes. But doing it in open spaces may create conflicts. There should be no interference in people's rights. But forcefully doing something will not be tolerated," he added.

Earlier in November, the Gurugram administration had withdrawn permission to offer namaz at eight out of 37 designated sites.

As per an official statement from the district administration, the permission was cancelled after an objection from the local people and Resident Welfare Association (RWA).