76 Duty Magistrates appointed in Gurugram for Friday prayers

Gurugram authorities have appointed 76 Duty Magistrates to oversee offering of Friday prayers by the Muslims, an official said on Thursday.

Hindutva outfits in Gurugram had on Wednesday urged the district authorities to designate open spaces for Friday prayers away from temples.

They also sought a verification of citizenship documents of persons offering Muslim prayers in the open areas.

A 15-member team comprising five Muslims from the corporate sector, five 'imams' and five Muslim villagers was formed to visit all 76 sites in the city where 'namaz' is offered in the open and try to bring down the number.

"Police had identified 76 sites where 'namaz' is offered in the open. The team had time till Thursday morning to visit all of these sites and ensure that the Friday prayers on coming Friday was not offered on greenbelts and roads. But since no final decision was taken till late Thursday, the administration appointed 76 Duty Magistrates to maintain law and order," a government spokesperson said in a statement.

--IANS

pradeep/tsb