New Delhi, Aug 14: The stand-off between a section of residents and the police in south Delhi over offering Friday prayers in protected monument continued for the fourth successive week as a group people tried to forcibly enter the Jamali Kamlai mosque today but were prevented. Over 30 people gathered outside the heritage monument demanding that they be allowed to offer prayers at the mosque, but were denied entry, a senior official of Archaeological Survey of India said. They offered prayers outside in a park, he said.
Nearly 25 people wanted to offer prayers at the main mosque in Qutub Minar but were instead allowed to enter another smaller mosque on the premises, he said. However, at Rajakibawali and Mohammadia mosques, where people had gathered for two weeks to offer Friday prayers, no one turned for the second successive week after the Government said it would strictly prevent people from entering the monuments. The four mosques had become a point of tussle between a section of residents of the area, who insisted they would offer Friday prayers inside the monuments, and the ASI. Two weeks back, some 200 people had held Friday prayers on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon highway after police prevented them from forcibly entering Jamali Kamali mosque in Mehrauli. However, the number of people turning up has dwindled since then. Home Minister P Chidambaram had said the Government would not allow people inside mosques classified by ASI as “non-living monuments”. The protesters had earlier claimed that prayers have been held at the mosque for a long time. (PTI)
Nearly 25 people wanted to offer prayers at the main mosque in Qutub Minar but were instead allowed to enter another smaller mosque on the premises, he said. However, at Rajakibawali and Mohammadia mosques, where people had gathered for two weeks to offer Friday prayers, no one turned for the second successive week after the Government said it would strictly prevent people from entering the monuments. The four mosques had become a point of tussle between a section of residents of the area, who insisted they would offer Friday prayers inside the monuments, and the ASI. Two weeks back, some 200 people had held Friday prayers on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon highway after police prevented them from forcibly entering Jamali Kamali mosque in Mehrauli. However, the number of people turning up has dwindled since then. Home Minister P Chidambaram had said the Government would not allow people inside mosques classified by ASI as “non-living monuments”. The protesters had earlier claimed that prayers have been held at the mosque for a long time. (PTI)
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