A year after protests, Friday prayers disrupted again, this time in Gurugram's Badshapur

GURUGRAM: A group of men calling themselves members of Bajrang Dal disrupted Friday prayers that were being offered in Badshapur (Sector 69), months after the district administration listed designated sites for namaz in the face of sustained protests by right-wing outfits against the prayers being offered in public spaces.
Wary of law and order problems, a team from Badshapur police station rushed to the spot and calmed tempers. Till late on Friday evening, no complaint was lodged.
“Around 11.30am, we got information that some people were offering Friday prayers at a ground. Residents of nearby villages had raised objections earlier too, but to no avail. We reached the spot after being informed in the morning and asked the group of men to leave the ground. There was no violence,” said Praveen Hindustani, who identified himself as a member of Bajrang Dal.
After a series of protests and disruptions last year, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had clarified that the prayers could not be offered in the open. The administration came out with lists of designated sites where namaz could be offered, but the numbers kept changing from time to time. Eventually, six sites were designated last December.
“We have now decided to hold meetings with the senior leadership. We will also meet the deputy commissioner and submit a memorandum,” Praveen said.
Asked about the disruption, Shahzad Khan, chairperson of the Muslim Ekta Manch, said, “Yes, it’s true. Around noon, some people disrupted the prayers. The ground where namaz was being offered is a designated site. We will hold a meeting before taking a call on whether to lodge a complaint or not.”
Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the allegations would be probed. “We will have to see if the ground is indeed a designated site. We will also hold a peace committee meeting to find out an amicable solution,” he added.