Slogan-shouting Bajrang Dal members disrupted a Friday namaz being held in the open in sector 69 here, forcing a group of 100 people offering prayers to leave the venue.
In 2021, the district administration designated six open sites for offering namaz here. Police said around 15 Bajrang Dal members led by its district security chief Amit Hindu disrupted more than 100 people who were offering namaz at a site on the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land in sector 69. After receiving the information a police team reached the spot and found that the people from the Muslim community were leaving the place, Umesh Kumar, SHO of Badshahpur police station, said.
The team asked the Bajrang Dal members to leave the place after which the situation was brought under control, he said. "The site was one of six designated (open) sites. We have not received any complaint and if received action will be taken as per the law," he added. Last year the district administration designated six sites including Atlas Chowk at HSIIDC Ground, Peepal Chowk in Udyog Vihar phase-2, HSVP land in Udyog Vihar phase-4, Leisure Valley Ground in Sector 29, HSVP land in Sector 42 and HSVP land in Sector 69 for offering Namaz by the Muslim community. Amit Hindu, a member of the right-wing outfit, alleged that the worshippers were encroaching on the green belt in the area to pray.
This site was allocated on a temporary basis for offering prayers. Now, some people from other districts and states are also coming here to offer namaz, he claimed. "We will give a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on Monday to stop prayer at this site," he added. Right-wing outfits have been opposing the offering of Friday namaz in open spaces.
Members of the Muslim community in Gurugram say they go to the public places because of lack of mosques in the areas where they work or live.