Noida: Efforts To Offer Namaz In Public Draws Police Ire; SHO Tells Companies To ‘Rein In’ Their Staff

The Noida Sector 58 Police has sent notices to all companies located in the industrial area to make sure that their employees don't offer namaz in public parks. The notice states that if they are to offer prayers in other areas apart from mosques, idgahs or inside company premises, the company will be held accountable, reports DNA.

According to the law, prior clearances have to be taken to perform religious activities in public spaces like parks. Some people had demanded the city magistrate’s permission to pray, but the authorities concerned have refused, say reports.

The police notice states: “We want to inform you that there is no permission from the administration to conduct any kind of religious activity including Namaz offered on Friday in the Authority park in Sector 58. It has been often seen that the Muslim workers of your company assemble in the park to offer Namaz and I, the SHO, have told the group not to hold prayers in the park. Also, their plea to the city magistrate has not received any permission to do so.”

It continues by saying that it's expected that the companies inform the Muslim employees to not go to the park to offer Namaz. If the employees do so, the notice states that the company is held responsible.

Sector 58, which has a lot of IT and service companies, has seen a large number of people assembling to offer Namaz on Friday, many of whom are not employed by the companies, says the police report.