After a video showing Muslim men and women reading namaz at the Vastrapur lake garden in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, went viral, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) performed a 'purification ritual' at the site on Monday, 15 November, The Hindu reported.
The secretary of the Gujarat VHP, Ashok Raval said that "on Monday evening, some VHP workers reached the garden to 'purify' the place. They chanted mantras and sprinkled 'Ganga jal'."
He further claimed that this was done "to create awareness among masses" because "a casual namaz eventually results in claim being staked on that piece of land."
This comes amid a rising dispute over land assigned to members of the Muslim community in Gurugram, where for the past several weeks, right-wing groups have been protesting during the Friday namaz by singing bhajans and chanting slogans.
On 12 November, members apparently affiliated with Hindu groups occupied the namaz site in Gurugram's Sector 12A to stop Muslims from praying and insisted on building a volleyball court instead.
Meanwhile, those captured in the video in Ahmedabad may have been visiting a family member admitted in a private hospital nearby, The Hindu reported citing sources.
A First Information Report (FIR) is yet to be lodged, as per Vastrapur police inspector Sandip Khambhla. He added that the police had not been approached by anyone over the purification incident.
The police, however, are looking into the matter.
(With inputs from The Hindu.)
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