An FIR has been registered against a group of Muslims in India’s Uttar Pradesh for a gathering to offer prayers at their house without antecedent permission.
Dilhepur village, where the incident happened, does not have a mosque, which is why a group of Muslims assembled to offer prayers.
Some villagers have conditions against gatherings for namaz even if Muslims do it in their houses.
The FIR was registered in the support of complaints from neighbours and said that the gatherings for namaz were spreading hate among people.
Of those, 26 people were captured under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 505-2, which is assumed to be for aggressive statements directed at a religious gathering.
All Muslims were reported to be commoners, out of which 16 have been highlighted.
Photos and videos of people offering prayer in the village have spread on social media, to which social media users have reacted with rage and disappointment.
Many have pointed out the bias of the villagers and their lack of rationality.
“This is what criminalisation of an entire religion looks like,” said journalist Kaushik Raj.
"26 people booked for holding a mass gathering to offer namaz at a house without prior permission from authorities and allegedly against neighbour's wishes".
This is what criminalisation of an entire religion looks like. pic.twitter.com/4PEgspsqni
— Kaushik Raj (@kaushikrj6) August 29, 2022
“I am sure if one of the neighbors had a hawan with 26 friends and relatives that would be acceptable,” Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said on Twitter adding that the problem was not the “mass gathering” but namaz itself.
