Days ahead of Bakrid, Sunni Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to allow namaz in mosques on August 1. The seminary wrote to the chief minister, making with five demands for the upcoming festival.
The state government had earlier prohibited namaz in mosques during Eid festival due to the coronavirus pandemic on May 25. In fact, state governments across country had banned all religious gatherings due to the pandemic under provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act. The decision found support from Muslims religious leaders cutting across sects and they in turn appealed to community members to pray at their homes.
Darul Uloom spokesman Mufti Ashraf Usmani said that it had been demanded that namaz be allowed in mosques while ensuring social distancing.
He further said that the government had been asked to allow slaughter of animals and to lift the ban on sale of goats.
“Besides, in the letter, the government has been asked to open markets and shopping malls during the festival and the imposition of ‘five persons in a mosque’ rule be lifted,” the spokesman said.
The mufti further said that in view of Bakrid on July 31 or August 1, the government should shift weekly lockdown to Tuesday and Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Shafiqur Rehman Barq, also demanded that Muslims be allowed to offer community prayers in mosques on Bakrid.
Barq submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate of Sambhal, Avinash Krishan, and said that offering prayers at homes was not enough.
“Only limited people are allowed to offer prayers in mosques. This won’t be sufficient. Authorities must allow all Muslims to pray in mosques in order to get rid of COVID-19 and save the world,” he said.