allahabad-hc-slams-up-govt-on-limiting-sambhal-mosque-namaz

The Allahabad High Court on Saturday delivered a stinging rebuke to the Uttar Pradesh government, outrightly rejecting its attempt to restrict the number of people allowed to offer their namaz at a mosque in the Sambhal region of the state during Ramzan. The local government had already placed a restriction of just 20 people entering the mosque, saying the restriction was a must to ensure there were no law and order problems during the holy period.

 

The court, comprising judges Atul Sreedharan and Siddharth Nandan, was scathing in its rejection of the government's argument for the restriction. Hearing a petition filed by Munazir Khan — who claimed he was being blocked from praying at the site — the judges reminded the government that maintaining the rule of law is a fundamental duty of the state, not an excuse to curtail religious practice.

 

The court did not mince its words when addressing the competence of local officials. The bench remarked that if the Superintendent of Police and the District Collector felt unable to manage a large gathering of worshippers without a breakdown in civil order, they should "either resign from their post or seek transfer" to a location where they felt more capable of enforcing the law.

 

The High Court clarified that state permission is only requisite when religious activities spill onto public land. For private property, the bench emphasised that every community has the right to pray peacefully without government interference. "It is the duty of the state to ensure that every community is able to offer worship peacefully in the designated place of worship," the court observed.

 

Although the state’s counsel sought to dispute the ownership of the land based on the revenue records, the petitioner has been given time to provide photographic evidence of the long-standing existence of the mosque. The case is still pending as the state is seeking further instructions, though the court’s stance has been a warning to the government on the extent of interference in the practice of religion.

 

 

Also read: Mosque committee flags communal concerns over Sambhal padyatra