A ‘namaz’ row erupted again as members of Hindu organisations and residents of Sector-47 including women reached a community namaz site (open ground) at Gurugram’s Sector 47 and raised slogans and chanted 'Aarti' during Friday prayers.
However, Friday prayers were offered at a site in Sector 47 amid heavy police deployment.
Though the situation remained peaceful, a group of 50-70 residents from nearby sectors and members of the Hindu outfit arrived at the time of namaz to voice their opposition to prayers being offered in an open space, citing “security” and traffic concerns.
It was around 12:30 pm when the members of the Hindu organisation and sector-47 residents reached at community namaz site of Sector 47.
Tahir Khan, who works at a carpenter shop said he had been coming to the site for over two years but had witnessed objections only during the last 2-3 weeks.
“Only for the past 2-3 weeks, some people come here and disrupt prayers and ask us to vacate the area. We are all wearing masks, follow covid norms and praying in peace,” Tahir said.
“This land is under the government. We are residents and we object to anyone practising their religion on the roads and disrupt traffic movement. There is a security threat for us residents," said a sector-47 resident.
Residents also said who had gathered to oppose the namaz claimed that the sites designated in May 2018 by the district administration were for only a specific period.
“Some residents arrived at the site for disruption of prayers. They said they don’t want the prayers to be continued in the open here. We informed them that this site is among the list of designated sites," said a senior police officer, adding that at the site where prayers were offered in the open, the situation remained peaceful.