The month of Ramzan is going on and so are the controversies. In a recent incident reported from the Solapur city in Maharashtra, a video of Muslim students offering Namaz inside a government college went viral. The video is from Polytechnic Government College in Maharashtra’s Solapur, where students offered Namaz on March 21 and 22 without permission.
The video, however, went viral on social media platforms on March 27. Sharing the clip, Sahyadri Rights Forum wrote, “Concerning video from Solapur’s Gov. Polytechnic Clg, where Muslim students collectively performed namaz during class. This religious observance in a state institution raises serious concerns. Authorities must address this issue promptly.”
As per media reports, the Muslim students had initially sought permission from the college authorities to leave early from the college premises to attend the Ramzan prayers. However, the college had denied permission, citing college rules and regulations that universally apply to all students. The students then chose to offer Namaz in the class itself.
This is from polytechnic govt college, #Solapur #Maharashtra.
Students from specific community seen offering namaz in class without permission amid #Ramzan. Other students complained but no action taken yet.— Siddhi Somani (@sidis28) March 24, 2024
Several Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists, along with fellow students, voiced their opposition to the incident at the college. They suggested that unless the Namaz practice was halted, they would initiate Hindu religious practices within the classrooms. Despite their outcry, the authorities did not take any action in response.
Speaking with the media, one of the teachers, on the promise of anonymity said, “The students had asked verbal permission to leave early from college to attend Ramzan prayers. College hours usually end at 6 pm. They had sought permission to leave 2 hours early. However, the permission was not granted citing the rules and regulations of the college. The students then offered Namaz in the classroom without permission. It happened only for two days. Later, the vacations began. But no action was taken by the college authorities despite several complaints,”
Although the incident occurred two days before vacation, the authorities implemented no disciplinary measures.
This incident contributes to the ongoing discourse concerning public demonstrations of Namaz, which has incited debates across different regions of Bharat. Recent events, such as the one in Delhi’s Indralok area, have witnessed confrontations between Namaz attendees and the police, leading to disciplinary measures like suspensions.
Various Islamic figures, including Syed Waseem Rizvi, the chairman of the UP Shia Waqf Board, have stressed the significance of respecting public areas and acquiring authorisation prior to engaging in religious practices. These sentiments align with the principles of abiding by local laws and guaranteeing minimal disruption to others.
Maulana Shahabuddin, a prominent Barelvi cleric, had also said that “offering Namaz is a matter of faith but people should make sure that nobody is disturbed when they practice their religion.”
