Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is denying basic constitutional rights to one section of Indian citizens, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said, calling his remarks against namaz in public spaces “extremely objectionable”.
The CPI(M) politburo in a statement here said that congregations of people belonging to all religions are regularly held in the open. The party pointed out that the Chief Minister had also withdrawn permission granted by his own administration to members of the Muslim community in Gurgaon to offer Friday prayers in open spaces because they are deprived of the mosques in which this could be done.
In the last few months, every Friday, people belonging to organisations like the Bajrang Dal, had disturbed or prevented Muslims from offering prayers in designated spaces, the CPI(M) said. The police, the Left party said, had stood by allowing the miscarriage of justice to take place. “Instead of ensuring that miscreants are punished and prayers allowed to be undertaken peacefully, the Chief Minister is denying a basic constitutional right to one section of Indian citizens,” the statement said.
The party has demanded that Mr. Khattar withdraw his comments, that the Haryana government make arrangements to ensure that Friday prayers proceed peacefully, and that necessary permissions were given to the Muslim community to construct mosques and gain control of Waqf properties.
