Indian police have filed a first information report (FIR) against a Samajwadi Party politician for offering namaz on a road at a government circuit house in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
The FIR was filed against Samajwadi Party district vice-president Haji Mohammad Usman under Sections 285 and 292 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with obstruction of a public way and public nuisance, reports The Wire.
Usman was seen offering prayers behind a parked car in a video that has circulated widely on social media. He is the uncle of Bilari MLA Mohammad Faheem Irfan.
Usman had visited the circuit house to attend a meeting between Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Lal Bihari Yadav and Samajwadi Party leaders.
The FIR followed a complaint by Anit Kumar, an assistant engineer in charge of the provincial division of the Public Works Department in Moradabad.
Kumar alleged in his complaint that Usman had parked his vehicle on a route used for entering and exiting the Circuit House and offered prayers behind the vehicle, obstructing the movement of vehicles and people.
The video cited in the report, however, does not appear to show anyone being obstructed by the prayers. The people and vehicles visible in the footage are not seen moving through the area at the time.
The incident has drawn criticism from local Hindutva groups. Dainik Bhaskar reported that members of such groups questioned how prayers were allowed at the government premises.
Offering prayers at government premises is not in itself illegal, although the Uttar Pradesh government has criminalized offering namaz on roads.
The police action against Usman has also prompted comparisons with the Kanwar Yatra, during which participants have been accused in widely circulated videos of blocking roads, vandalizing vehicles and establishments, and making vulgar gestures.
The FIR provisions cited against Usman carry penalties related to public obstruction and nuisance, although the circumstances surrounding the alleged obstruction remain disputed.
