New Delhi: Members from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) allegedly harassed a group of Muslim men from West Bengal and handed them over to the police in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district for offering namaz on the roadside.The incident took place on September 11 but came to light after videos surfaced on social media on September 13. The group was on its way to Rajasthan’s Ajmer Sharif.According to the Times of India, they were offering namaz near a dhaba on the Lucknow-Delhi national highway.Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Vajpayee told news agency Press Trust of India on Wednesday, September 14, “Eighteen people who were on their way to Ajmer were brought to the Tilhar police station on Sunday night (September 11) with the complaint that they were offering namaz on the roadside. They were released after we received an apology [from them] in writing and issued a challan.”Meanwhile, local VHP leader Rajesh Awasthi, who reported the matter to the police, said, “I was on my way to someplace when I saw some men offering namaz on the roadside.”Awasthi said he told the men that they were in Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh, where offering namaz in the open was prohibited.When asked what action was taken against the VHP members for allegedly assaulting the Muslim men, the police told the daily, “A fine was imposed on the bus driver as the vehicle was parked improperly on the highway.”However, no action was taken against those who harassed the Muslim men, the report said.The station house officer of Tilhar police station, Virendra Singh, told TOI, “We spoke with both the parties and didn’t get any evidence that namaz was offered publicly.”Singh added, “We do not know if the pilgrims were assaulted by anyone. We haven’t seen any such video.”However, in the purported video clip, as per the newspaper, a man was heard saying, “The ones who offered namaz will have to go to jail.” In another video, an elderly man can be seen apologising to the VHP leader.In a video that went viral on social media, the VHP members can be heard asking some passengers of a bus to hold their ears and apologise, PTI reported.Also read: UP: 26 Booked for Gathering to Offer Namaz Inside a HouseAfter the incident, the bus with all its passengers left for Ajmer.Criticising the right-wing group’s action, many activists took to Twitter saying that when Hindus can conduct poojas in malls and colleges, why offering namaz was banned.They can block roads for Yatras.They can conduct Poojas in Malls & colleges.They can have Temples in Govt offices & Police Stations.When was offering Namaz without disturbing anyone is banned ??They have criminalised Islam.(UP Shahjahanpur) pic.twitter.com/cri4ofFwvf— Mohammed Habeeb Ur Rehman (@Habeebinamdar) September 13, 2022#You can’t offer namaz in a mosque- we would claim it to be a temple & demolish it#You can’t offer namaz at the roadside- we will thrash you#You can’t offer namaz collectively at home- we will file FIR against youThat’s the UP model of #secularism for Muslims. pic.twitter.com/W2qD4Lb6f9— Aasif Mujtaba (@MujtabaAasif) September 13, 2022In 2019, the UP Police issued directives imposing a complete ban on offering namaz on roads across the state. “On special occasions, when a large crowd gathers for offering prayers on festivals, it could be allowed by the district administration, but this practice will not be allowed as a routine during every Friday prayer,” the director general of police said while imposing the ban.(With PTI inputs)
