A fresh row has erupted over offering namaz in public after a video from the compartment of a train stationed in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar started doing the rounds on social media. State police and the Railway Protection Force have said they are investigating the matter.
The video was shared by former BJP MLA from Kushinagar Deeplal Bharati. It shows four Muslim men offering namaz in the aisle of a sleeper coach. The video was reportedly shot on the Satyagraha Express while it had stopped at Khadda railway station.
One man seated next to those offering namaz was heard asking passengers to wait till they are done.
The offering of namaz at public places has emerged as a matter of intense debate. Right-wing outfits' charge that they cause disruption have been countered by allegations of using the issue to targeting Muslims.
Earlier this year, protests erupted at an open area in designated for namaz in Haryana. Supporters of Hindu right-wing groups gathered and raised Jai Shri Ram slogans, as Muslims offered namaz at the area. Police had to step in to prevent the situation from spiralling into a communal clash.
In Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, a row erupted last month after a video of a woman offering namaz at a hospital went viral. Police later issued a statement that she was praying for the recovery of a family member and was not causing any disruption whatsoever. "Her action does not fall under the category of any crime," police said.
In July, several arrests were made in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow after a video of some men offering namaz at the newly inaugurated Lulu Mall went viral. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed police to act tough against elements "hell-bent on vitiating the atmosphere" in the state. Right-wing outfits had launched protests, demanding that they be allowed to perform prayers at the mall.
AdvertisementEarlier this year, Chief minister Adityanath had said no religious procession in the state should be undertaken without prior permission of the administration and that loudspeakers should not cause inconvenience to others.
