In a move which is likely to create controversy, Noida Police has asked companies to ensure that their employees don't offer namaz in public parks. Noida Sector 58 Police has sent notice to all the companies which are located in the industrial area asking them to adhere to the restrictions. According to the notice, the company will be held accountable, if Muslim employees offer namaz in the public. They are asked to offer Friday prayers in mosques, idgahs or inside the premises of the company.
According to police, prior clearance has to be taken for performing religious activities at parks, as these are public spaces. According to reports, some people had gone to the City magistrate asking for permission to offer prayers. But the authorities are unwilling to allow namaz being offered in public.
Large number of IT and services companies are located in Sector 58.
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 to not hold prayers in the park. Also, their plea to the city magistrate has not received any permission to do so.”
“Thus, it is expected from you that you at your level inform your Muslim employees to not come to the park to offer Namaz. If employees of your company come to the park, it will be assumed that you have not informed your employees and your company will be held liable.”
According to police, in the last few months, large number of people have started to assemble to offer Namaz on Friday, some of whom are even not even employees. Hence the police is taking this cautionary step to maintain communal harmony in run-up to the assembly polls.
