Bihar BJP MLA Supports CM Khattar, Demands Ban on Namaz in Open Spaces

Haribhushan Thakur is an MLA from the Bisfi Assembly constituency in Bihar's Madhubani district.

File photo used for representation.

(Photo: The Quint)

A day after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khatter said that namaz should not be offered in the open and the "practice will not be tolerated", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Bihar, Haribhushan Thakur, demanded that a ban should be imposed on offering namaz in open spaces in Bihar.

"Every Friday they block roads for no reason to read the namaz. If they want to practice their faith, they should do it at home or inside the Masjids. I fully support Manohar (Lal) Khattar's decision."

Haribhushan Thakur

Thakur, who is an MLA from the Bisfi Assembly constituency in Bihar further said that "tensions among communities will rise if Muslims are not stopped from offering prayers on streets".

His comment comes on the heels of growing tensions in Haryana's Gurugram district where Friday prayers at open namaz sites have been disturbed by right-wing outfits over the last couple of months.

The Gurugram district administration withdrew permission for Friday prayers at 20 designated sites amid these protests as CM Khattar said that a fresh list will be issued after consulting both parties.