PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has come down heavily on Uttar Pradesh authorities for restricting the number of worshippers offering namaz during Ramzan in Sambhal district, remarking that if officials feel incapable of maintaining law and order, they should “resign from their post or seek transfer”.
A Division Bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Siddharth Nandan made the observation while hearing a writ petition filed by Munazir Khan, who alleged that authorities were preventing people from offering prayers on land claimed to house a mosque.
The petitioner submitted that the local administration had permitted only 20 persons to offer Namaz at the site, even though a larger number of worshippers were expected during the Ramzan period.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government disputed the petitioner’s claim regarding the existence of a mosque at the site and contended that the land in question, Gata No. 291, is recorded in the names of Mohan Singh and Bhooraj Singh, both sons of Sukhi Singh, in the revenue records.