Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has triggered anger after suggesting Muslims should “offer namaz in shifts” and defending a crackdown on roadside prayers during large congregations. Speaking at a public event, Adityanath said public spaces were “secular” and not for prayer mats, claiming roads were meant for movement and could not be blocked. He declared that roadside namaz had “effectively ended” in UP since 2018 due to strict policing. 

In a threatening tone, he added, “You want to offer namaz, you can read it during your shift. We want you to agree with love; if you don’t agree, we’ll adopt another method.”  The CM insisted mosques should manage overcrowding by staggering prayers, arguing that public order could not be compromised for worship.  Opposition leaders and rights activists slammed the remarks as discriminatory and selective.

AIMIM spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar questioned why roads were closed for Hindu processions like the Kanwar Yatra but not for Muslim prayers. “If namaz cannot be offered on the road, then why close the road for puja aarti? Is this the rule of law?” he said. AIM’s Waris Pathan said India would run by the Constitution, not by Adityanath’s threats, accusing him of spreading hatred. Former SP leader IP Singh alleged the CM was using Hindu-Muslim politics to divert attention from unemployment and governance failures. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)