India Tomorrow
New Delhi, Dec 26: The Delhi Minorities Commission has written to Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh over the Noida police notice to companies asking them to stop their Muslim employees from offering Friday prayers at public places.
The police in Noida, an industrial hub and twin city of Delhi, has reportedly threatened companies in the area that if their employees continue to offer Friday prayers in a particular park in Sector 58, they (companies) will be held responsible. According to media reports, police stations in the area were instructed to notify companies that they will be held responsible if their employees offer Friday namaz in a certain park because some people have complained against same. According to these reports, some Muslims have also been arrested for “disrupting peace”.
Taking cognizance of the media reports, Chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission Dr Zafarul Islam Khan has written to the DGP of UP Mr Om Prakash, expressing his anguish. Dr Khan said in his letter that for some time UP police force has been receiving bad coverage, especially in the case of over a thousand encounters undertaken by the force in recent years. Dr Khan further said in his letter, “Recently, we watched in disbelief that your force downplayed the murder of an officer in Siyana (Bulandshahr), giving the message that cow slaughter was more serious a crime than murder of an Inspector of Police.”
Dr Khan further said in his letter to the UP DGP that “it is totally illegal to hold an employer responsible for the acts of his employees. This is transgressing limits by a force which should meticulously follow the law and implement same without any bias against anyone.”
Dr Khan added in his letter to the DGP, “I hope you will take notice of these trends in your force and sanitise them about their role to follow the Constitution and laws of the land in letter and spirit. And if there is a problem about a certain park, the police should allow namaz on Fridays in some other park or open space as has been done in Gurgaon. After all, it is just a question of barely half an hour of congregation in which mats are brought by people and same are taken back after the namaz.”
Dr Khan further said: “Freedom of religion has been guaranteed by our Constitution (Articles 25-28) and offering namaz in congregation on Fridays is part of a Muslim’s religious beliefs. Police and administration should make sure that this activity does not extend to erection of any permanent structure at public place(s) where Friday namaz is offered due to non-availability of a mosque in the vicinity.”
