'Every Friday, traffic gets jammed': BJP MLA reiterates demand to curb namaz at public places in Delhi

NEW DELHI: One day after he wrote a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner on the issue, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MLA Karnail Singh on Thursday reiterated his stance against the offering of Namaz at public places.
"Every Friday, traffic gets jammed and ambulances get stuck due to people offering Namaz on the roads... When people have space in the mosque, they should offer Namaz there. There are not only Hindus in the traffic, there are Muslims too, and people of other religions," Karnail Singh said while talking to the news agency ANI.

Earlier on Wednesday, Karnail Singh, BJP MLA from Shakur Basti, wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner, requesting action to "prevent the inconvenience caused by the offering of Namaz in public places."
In his letter, Singh pointed out that prayers on roads were causing traffic congestion and disturbing residents.
"I would like to draw your attention to an important issue. The practice of offering prayers on roads and public places in our city is obstructing traffic and causing inconvenience to the general public. On several occasions, this has also affected ambulances, school buses, and other essential services," he wrote.

"While we all have the right to practice our respective religions, it is equally important to ensure that public order and traffic are not disrupted," the letter read.
Singh urged the police to restrict religious activities to designated areas, such as mosques or private spaces and requested prompt action from the administration.
"Therefore, I request that the administration take necessary steps in this regard and ensure that religious activities are conducted only in designated places and private premises. I hope you will take this matter seriously and take appropriate action," he added.
Singh serves as the head of BJP's Temple Cell in Delhi, which was created in 2022 to build stronger ties with priests in the city.
Responding to Singh's letter, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Zubair Ahmad on Wednesday slammed BJP MLA's demand, terming it a way to divert attention from real issues.
Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed said, "Sometimes they have issues with the call to prayer, sometimes with the Namaz, sometimes with meat shops. They only have problems, nothing else. When they don't want to discuss real issues and want to distract people, they resort to religious politics."
Further taking a jab at the government and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, he said, "When you should have been questioned about the Rs 2500 scheme, about the development of Delhi, about the deteriorating sewer system in Delhi, you are unable to manage all this. Questions should have been raised on these issues, but you are engaging in religious politics."
Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed didn't stop there. He further said, "The chief minister is reciting Bashir Badr's couplets inside the assembly. The Prime Minister is distributing ration kits among the country's Muslim community, and some of their own MLAs are working to spoil the atmosphere. These are the same people who have nothing to show for their work. This will achieve nothing; they engage in politics of hate. If talking about religion is banned for two years, all their politics would end."

Delhi assembly deputy speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, while responding to Karnail Singh's letter, said, "We are not against anyone offering Namaz. But they should not disturb people by offering Namaz on the road.."
Meanwhile, the BJP MLA Shikha Rai also responded to Karnail Singh's demand, saying that it is not a religious issue. "This is not a religious issue but a matter of convenience. If there is any kind of encroachment on a public place that causes inconvenience, then voices will definitely be raised against it. The freedom to follow one's religion should be limited to oneself; it should not interfere with the freedom of others."