Karnataka11 minutes ago
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The chairman has not responded to the MLA’s request for a room to offer prayers.
There is a case going on in Jharkhand for making a separate room for Namaz inside the Vidhansabha. Meanwhile, in Karnataka also a legislator put forward a similar demand in front of the Speaker.
Janata Dal (Secular) Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) BM Farooq has written to the Speaker of the Upper House, requesting a separate room for Muslims in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
However, the chairman has not responded to his request for a room to offer prayers. But Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil, speaking in the House, said he would hold a meeting with the Speaker and stakeholders and take a decision on the demand.
While going out in debate, unable to go out to offer Namaz
Farooq had demanded, saying, I asked for a room for Namaz because the debate in the House is mostly delayed and we are not able to go outside and offer Namaz. I read Namaz every day. So we got a room here. Farooq claims, even the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have not raised any objection to this.
Room was allotted in Jharkhand Assembly in 2021
The process of separate room for Namaz in the assembly started from Jharkhand. As soon as the session starts in Jharkhand Assembly in September 2021, room number TW-348 was allotted for offering Namaz. The copy of the order also has the signature of Deputy Secretary of the Legislative Assembly, Naveen Kumar.
Opposition parties had said – Hanuman temple should also be there in the House
In Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party strongly protested against the Namaz room. Ranchi MLA and former minister CP Singh had raised the demand for setting up of Hanuman temple in the assembly premises.
BJP MLA Viranchi Narayan had said that then places of worship should be made for all religions. The BJP termed it as appeasement politics.
Jharkhand HC raises questions about prayer room
On this decision of the Jharkhand government, Ajay Kumar Modi filed a petition in the High Court. The matter kept getting postponed. On May 2 this year, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra of the Jharkhand High Court heard it. The court had asked the state government what was the need for a separate room for prayers.
Government’s answer- the committee is preparing the report
On this, the government replied that, a report has been called from the assembly of different states of the country regarding the Namaz room. On the basis of their report, considering the legal aspect, the committee constituted in this regard will submit its report. At present, the next hearing of the case will be on August 3.
The committee of seven MLAs will submit its report on July 31.
On behalf of the Vidhan Sabha, the court was told through an affidavit that a committee of seven MLAs has been formed in the Vidhan Sabha in this matter. This committee is all party. The committee is probing the matter. It will submit its report by July 31. Read full news…