Gurugram namaz row: SC to hear plea against Haryana officials

New Delhi, January 31

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear former Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Adeeb’s plea seeking contempt action against senior Haryana Government officials for allegedly failing to take action against local Hindu groups that allegedly tried to prevent Muslims from offering Friday namaz in the open in Gurugram. “I will look into it and post before the appropriate Bench immediately,” Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, who headed a three-judge Bench, told senior counsel Indira Jaising after she sought urgent listing of Adeeb’s plea filed last month. Jaising said state government officials failed to follow the directions of the top court issued in 2018 to stop hate crimes.

‘Will look into it’

I will look into it and post before the appropriate Bench immediately. CJI

“This is not only based on newspaper reports, we have ourselves filed complaints. We are not asking for any enforcement of FIR. This court has laid down preventive measures,” she submitted.

In view of objections from Hindu groups, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had on December 10 said that offering ‘namaz’ in the open “will not be tolerated”.

He said the district administration’s prior decision to reserve some spots for holding Friday “namaz” in open spaces had been withdrawn. The CM had, however, said the state government would now work out an amicable solution to the problem.

Alleging inaction by Haryana’s top officials in curbing communal and violent tendencies, petitioner Adeeb sought contempt action against Haryana Chief Secretary and the DGP of the state for failing to comply with the top court’s directions in Tehseen S Poonawalla case (2018) to control and prevent the increasing number of hate crimes, including mob violence and lynching. —