Noida Police orders ban on offering prayers at public park, sparks row

Noida SSP has clarified that the notice was not meant for any "particular religion".

Noida: The Noida Police on Tuesday issued an order banning people from offering prayers at a public park, which triggered a controversy.   

According to news agency ANI, the Noida Poice issued an order directing the managers of industrial units and multi-national companies to restrict their employees from offering prayers in open public spaces in Sector 58, which caused inconvenience to the general public.

''The Noida Police have issued a notice asking companies to ensure that no religious activities are carried out in a park in Sector-58 by their employees, that includes Friday Namaz,'' ANI reported.

Noida: Police have issued a notice asking companies to ensure that no religious activities are carried out in a park in Sec-58 by their employees, that includes Friday namaz.Notice also states that companies will be held responsible if employees are found offering namaz in parks. pic.twitter.com/MY9PqzuDQk — ANI (@ANI) 25 December 2018

The notice also specifically warned that the firms would be held responsible for any breach of this directive.

It was widely believed that the notice pointed to the Namaz offered by Muslims in open public spaces.

However, with the order triggering a controversy, Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal clarified that the notice was not meant for any "particular religion".

News agency IANS quoted a senior official as saying that at least a dozen companies in Sector 58 of Noida have been served the notice by the concerned police station. 

Earlier this year, a controversy erupted in Haryana’s Gurugram after newly-launched right-wing organisation Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti disrupted Friday ‘Namaz’ at 10 places including Atul Kataria Chowk, Sikanderpur, Cyber Park Sector 40, Wazirabad and Mehrauli-Gurgaon road and IFFCO Chow.

Haryana Chief Minister had also courted controversy by saying that one should offer Namaz in mosques and Eidgahs instead of public places and if there is a shortage of places for offering Namaz, then it should be offered at the personal place. 

These are not such issues which should be displayed at public places, the Haryana CM said.