Hindu Sena leader moves apex court over Gurugram namaz row

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 8

A Hindu Sena leader has moved the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to be heard in the contempt petition against the Haryana Government officials for their alleged failure to act against local Hindu groups which allegedly tried to prevent Muslims from offering Friday namaz in open areas in Gurugram.

In his plea, Hindu Sena vice-president Surjit Singh Yadav urged the top court to direct the petitioners to refrain from offering namaz on public property in Gurugram.

Self-restraint needed

Indian society is one of multi-religious people and, therefore, members of each community have to follow the principle of self-restraint to maintain law and order situation. —Surjit Singh Yadav, Hindu sena vice-president

Last month, former Rajya Sabha MP and a resident of Gurugram Mohammad Adeeb had moved the top court, seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings against senior Haryana Government officials.

In view of objections from Hindu groups, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, had on December 10, said that the practice of offering namaz in the open “will not be tolerated”. He said the district administration’s prior decision to reserve some spots for holding Friday namaz in open spaces had been withdrawn. The CM had, however, said that the state government would now work out an amicable solution to the problem.

Alleging inaction by Haryana’s top officials in curbing communal and violent tendencies, petitioner Adeeb sought contempt action against Haryana Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police of State of Haryana for failing to comply with the top court’s directions in Tehseen S Poonawalla case (2018) to control and prevent the increasing number of hate crimes, including mob violence and lynching.

Yadav alleged that by moving the top court, Adeeb had attempted to cover up his “communal misdeeds” and was trying to “blame Hindus and their peace-loving character”.