Lucknow:
A new row has erupted over offering namaz in public after a video from the compartment of a train in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh made the rounds on social media. The state police and the Railway Protection have said they are investigating the matter.
The video was shared by former BJP MLA of Kushinagar Deeplal Bharati. It shows four Muslim men offering namaz in the aisle of a sleeping car. The video was reportedly shot on the Satyagraha Express while it was stopped at Khadda Railway Station.
A man sitting next to those offering namaz overheard passengers asking them to wait until they were ready.
Offering namaz in public places has become a matter of intense debate. The accusation of right-wing outfits that they are causing disruption has been refuted by allegations that they would use the matter to attack Muslims.
Earlier this year, protests broke out in an open area in Haryana designated for namaz. Supporters of right-wing Hindu groups gathered and raised Jai Shri Ram slogans, while Muslims offered namaz in the area. The police had to intervene to prevent the situation from turning into a communal clash.
A row broke out in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh last month after a video of a woman offering namaz in a hospital went viral. Police later released a statement saying she prayed for a relative’s recovery and did not cause any disturbance. “Her action does not fall under the category of crime,” the police said.
In July, several arrests were made in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, after a video went viral of some men offering namaz at the newly opened Lulu mall. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered police to crack down on elements “determined to ruin the atmosphere” in the state. Right-wing outfits had launched protests demanding they be allowed to offer prayers in the mall.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Adityanath had said that no religious procession should be undertaken in the state without prior approval from the government and that loudspeakers should not cause a nuisance to others.