Havan is okay but namaz is not, says Omar Abdullah
After UP Police withdrew the FIR over “an unauthorised mass gathering to offer namaz” on Tuesday after they found the complaint to be “incorrect”, Muslim residents expressed happiness that police considered evidence provided by them. An elderly Muslim man said, “We were being framed. But a lot of people from both communities came in our support”.
One of the complainants, however, said, “We are not satisfied with the police investigation. They had offered namaz on multiple occasions. We are sure they will do it again. We will take legal advice and initiate appropriate action.”
The row over “namaz at home” in Dulhepur became a talking point in political circles as well. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, who had condemned the FIR, tweeted: “Fair and timely decision. Hope people will now be able to offer namaz in their homes without any hassle.”
In a tweet, National Conference member and former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah earlier wrote, “I’m sure if one of the neighbours did a ‘havan’ with 26 friends and relatives that would be perfectly acceptable. It’s not the mass gathering that is the problem, it’s the offering of namaz.”
