CPI(M)  Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on December 11

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the extremely objectionable statement made by the chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, yesterday. He has stated that “The practice of offering namaz in public spaces cannot be tolerated”.  Congregations of people belonging to all religions are regularly held in the open and such a statement is unacceptable.  The chief minister has also withdrawn permission granted by his own administration to members of the Muslim community in Gurgaon to offer Friday prayers in open spaces because they are deprived of mosques in which this could be done.

In the last few months, every Friday, people belonging to organisations like Bajrang Dal have disturbed or prevented Muslims from offering prayers in these designated spaces. The police have stood by allowing this miscarriage of justice to take place.  Instead of ensuring that miscreants are punished and prayers allowed to be undertaken peacefully, the chief minister is denying the basic constitutional right to one section of Indian citizens.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that this decision be withdrawn and that the Haryana government make arrangements to ensure  that Friday prayers proceed peacefully and that necessary permissions are given to the Muslim community to construct mosques and gain control of Waqf properties.