Gurugram namaz row: Muslim groups decide to hold Friday prayers in 18 sites

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In a major development in connection with holding Friday Namaz in open places in Gurugram, the Muslim National Forum and the clerics of the Gurugram Imam organisation in a memorandum submitted to the district administration on Monday decided that the Friday prayers will be held at 12 places on the land of masjid, madarsa and Waqf Board, while on a temporary basis it will also be offered at six places for a few days by paying the maintenance fee fixed by the administration.

If anyone creates any obstacle, the Muslim National Forum and the Imam Organisation will deal with it, they said.

The designated 12 places include Jama Masjid Sadar Bazaar, Rajiv Chowk, Pataudi Chowk Mosque, Sector-57 Mosque, Village Chauma, Sheetla Colony, Shanti Nagar, Atul Kataria Chowk, Devilal Colony, Sarai Alwardi Mosque, Badshahpur and Darbaripur Road-Badshahpur.

The Imam Organisation in its memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner said that it wants to ensure peace and harmony in Gurugram, and stop politics in the matter.

"We have decided that the Friday Namaz will not be offered at 20 places. We required six places on a temporary basis to offer Friday prayers for a few days by paying the maintenance fee fixed by the administration. The organisation will also submit documents of the designated clerics to the district administration," the Imam Organisation said.

"We have appealed to the administration to remove the encroachments on the lands of masjids, madarsas and Waqf Board so that the Namaz can be offered peacefully," Khurshid Razaka, Convener of Muslim National Forum, told IANS.

The Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti was also engaged in talks with the district administration, demanding that Muslims must not be allowed to pray in the open outside Muslim-dominated neighbourhoods.

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"Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti and the Gurugram Imam Organisation in a meeting with the district administration have decided that Friday prayers will be held at 12 places, while on a temporary basis it will also be offered at six places by paying the maintenance fee fixed by the administration," Rajeev Mittal, member of a right-wing group, told IANS.