Aligarh, May 19 (IANS) Shahi Chief Mufti of Uttar Pradesh, Maulana Chaudhary Ifraheem Husain, on Tuesday came out in support of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement that offering ‘namaz’ on public roads should not be allowed. The Muslim religious leader asserted that such a practice is “against Islam”.

Addressing an event on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi said that religious gatherings involving a large number of people should be conducted in an organised manner at designated places and, if required, in shifts to avoid overcrowding and disruption.

Defending the UP CM’s statement, Hussain said: “CM Yogi’s statement that ‘namaz’ should not be offered on roads, is absolutely correct in terms of Islam.”

Further, he said: “According to Islam, ‘namaz’ should not be offered at any disputed or public places.”

“Roads are meant for commuters. People of all religions commute through the roads and especially ambulances pass through them. Therefore, one should be careful that ‘namaz’ is not offered at such places,” he added.

He reiterated: “Muslims should not do it. It’s against Islam.”

The religious leader referred to a recent Allahabad High court’s judgment which held that the right to practise religion does not extend to converting private premises into an “unregulated congregational space”.

He said: “According to the court’s order the decision implies for all religions, without any bias.”

The court had dismissed a plea seeking permission and police protection for offering regular ‘namaz’ at an alleged private property in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.

UP’s Shahi Chief Mufti further responded to claims that functions of other religions do take place on roads like ‘Kanwar Yatra’ and ‘Holika Dahan’ and ‘jagratas’.

“There is a difference between ‘Kanwar Yatra’ and ‘namaz’. The latter is offered while sitting and when one is at peace, while ‘Kanwar Yatra’ is a procession. Both of them cannot be compared,” he said.

Earlier, the Uttarakhand Madarsa Education Board Chairman, Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, also expressed support for Chief Minister Adityanath’s remarks, saying that those who claim to represent the Muslim community often lack a proper understanding of Islamic teachings.

–IANS

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