Prayer should not become a display of strength; Disruption of Christmas in Pataudi unfortunate: Haryana CM Khattar

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Thursday that offering prayers in the open would not be tolerated by his administration, weeks after declaring that prayers should not become a show of strength. He also described the incident when Christmas celebrations were disrupted at a school in Pataudi, “unfortunate”.

Speaking to the media in the national capital, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said that his administration is resolving the Namaz controversy by talking to both Muslim and Hindu communities.

Responding to the recent incidents of tension during Muslims offering namaz in groups in the open in Gurugram, Khattar said, “The administration is working out where namaz should be offered. Prayer should be limited to prayer only. It should not be made into a display of strength. Offering prayers or prayers is an issue that is private and religious. It can be done at home, mosque or Idgah. If they want to do it in the open, it should be done with the permission of the administration. It applies to everyone, be it Sikh, Hindu, Christian or Muslim.”