Manohar Lal Khattar’s remarks on namaz in public places clearly targeted one religion: Omar Abdullah

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday lambasted Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s remarks that offering namaz in public places cannot be tolerated

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday lambasted Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s remarks that offering namaz in public places cannot be tolerated.

Abdullah claimed that the target was a single religion. “The statement of Haryana chief minister and his decision is absolutely wrong. In our country, it is allowed to follow one’s religion publicly. I would have accepted if this prohibition (on namaz in public places) would have been followed for every religion. This is being done on a pick-and-choose basis and it indicates that the target is a single religion,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a rally in Anantnag.

Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said offering namaz in public places cannot be tolerated, even as the Gurugram administration withdrew permission for Friday prayers at 20 designated sites amid protests by members of Hindu outfits.

The National Conference vice-president said that the country’s Constitution doesn’t allow this. “This is not that India with which J&K had acceded. J&K had acceded to a secular and tolerant India. The statement of the Haryana chief minister is highly condemnable, “ Omar said.