Gurugram: Memorandum on minority rights submitted to Hry Guv

Gurugram, Dec 1 (IANS) Several organisations on Wednesday submitted a memorandum on minority rights to the Haryana Governor through Duty Magistrate, Darpan Kamboj, amid the ongoing row over offering Friday prayers (Namaz) in Gurugram's public places.

The organisations include Loktantrik Manch, Nagrik Ekta Manch, Janwadi Mahila Samiti, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Sarva Karamchari Sangh and others.

These groups also staged a day-long protest, and later submitted the memorandum.

They have alleged "the BJP and RSS related organisations are continuously harassing minority communities and disrupting Friday Namaz in Gurugram".

They claimed that RSS related organisations are deliberately disturbing communal harmony in Gurugram and disrupting Friday Namaz on several locations in Gurugram to gain political mileage, and even suggested that the minority people should go to Pakistan.

"In 2018, the administration and police department had designated few locations for open Namaz but now the administration has withdrawn permissions of few locations and now the Friday Namaz are being offered at 20 places only. Now, those individuals who offered their space for Friday prayers are being targeted in Gurugram which is harmful to society," Altaf Ahmad, co-founder of Gurugram Muslim Council, said in the memorandum.

The members also alleged that on July 4, a Mahapanchayat was also organised by the RSS-related organisation in the Pataudi block of Gurugram where the minority community was targeted but despite complaints, no action was taken against the organisers.

"We demanded from the district administration to protect minority people during open Friday Namaz and ensure places for offering Namaz. Hate campaigns should be stopped against minority people and strict action should be taken against those involved in such communal activities," a member of an organisation said.

"We have submitted a complaint against people who are disrupting open Friday prayers in Gurugram. The district administration has assured us that police are collecting audio and video evidence against such people and after this, they will initiate action against such people. We are peace-loving people and wants to maintain harmony in the city," Hazi Shahad Khan, Chairman Muslim Ekta Manch told IANS.