New Delhi, Dec 25: Police in Sector 58 of Uttar Pradesh’s Noida have asked companies in the industrial hub to ensure their employees do not use a park for any religious activity, including offering namaz on Fridays.
In a notice, police have said companies in Sector 58 will be held responsible if their employees are found violating the order.
“The administration has not given any permission to hold any kind of religious activity, wherein offering Friday prayers, in the park in Sector 58. It has been often noticed that some of your Muslim employees gather in the park in Sector 58 to offer namaz on Fridays,” Pankaj Rai, the in-charge of Sector 58 police station, said in the notice.
“They have been asked publicly by me not to do so and who have not been given any permission by the city magistrate on their earlier application,” Rai said.
“Please ask all your Muslim employees not to offer namaz in the park. If they still go to the park to offer prayers, then your company will be held responsible for the violation.”
Reports said the companies have sought a meeting with senior police officers for clarification on the notice and also planned to approach the court against the order.
Noida’s senior superintendent of police Ajay Pal Sharma has defended the move and said the notice “was not specific to any particular religion”.
“A few people had asked for permission for religious prayers in a park in Sector 58. In spite of no permission granted from city magistrate, the office people congregated. The companies in the area were informed about it. The information is not specific to any particular religion,” Pal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
