MPs urge Hindus, Muslims to maintain communal harmony, not to fall prey to any provocation

New Delhi: With Holi and Friday namaz during Ramzan coinciding this week, parliamentarians on Wednesday called for a peaceful celebration of the festival and said it is the responsibility of the police and administration to ensure that no untoward incident happens in the country.

This comes amid a row over BJP leaders' controversial remarks in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh recently suggesting that Muslims should stay indoors till noon or cover themselves with tarpaulin when coming out of their homes to avoid any inconvenience during the Holi celebrations on Friday.

Bihar's Darbhanga Mayor Anjum Ara also sparked a controvery by batting for a "two-hour break" in the Holi celebrations to facilitate the Muslim prayers in the north Bihar town. However, she later retracted her statement, claiming it was "misinterpreted", and said she was "ready to apologise".

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad, who represents Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh (UP), alleged that the BJP leaders want to "complicate" the festival by raising new issues to divert public attention from the issue of unemployment and other "big problems" facing the country.

"I greet people of the country on Holi and appeal to them to celebrate this festival together according to tradition, just as it was celebrated earlier. Tranquility will prevail in the country," he told PTI Videos in the Parliament complex.

Prasad said the Constitution guarantees people's right to freedom of religion and methods of worship.

"Any restriction on it will be a violation of the Constitution," he said.

"This country will not be run by faith. This country will be run by the Constitution… All of us including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are ready to protect the Constitution in every way," he added.

Another SP MP Zia ur Rehman said it is the responsibility of the police and administration to ensure that Holi is celebrated peacefully and Muslims also offer 'Jumma namaz' (Friday prayers) without any inconvenience.

"This is not the first time that these festivals are happening on the same day. It has happened peacefully before and it will happen peacefully this time too," he told PTI Videos.

"I appeal to everyone to ensure that nobody's sentiments are hurt and both 'Jumme ki namaz' and Holi pass away peacefully," the Sambhal MP from UP added.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma said Hindu and Muslims will celebrate Holi and Eid together in UP as there is "unity and coordination" between the two communities in the state.

"Samajwadi Party can keep dreaming… Maulanas in Lucknow have called for offering prayers after 2 pm (on the day of Holi)," he told PTI Videos in the Parliament complex.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said it is a "good example" of India's diversity when people of two different communities are celebrating Holi and Ramzan at the same time.

'What is the matter of politics here? If everyone connects with God in their own way, what is the problem in that?" he asked.

"I think everyone in our country should connect with God in their own way and celebrate the joy of festivals. There is no need to ruin this joy," he told reporters in Parliament complex.

BJP MP Ravi Kishan, who represents Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency in UP, appealed to the people of Bihar to ensure that Holi celebrations pass off peacefully.

“There are elections where voices are being raised. All Muslims know that Holi is celebrated (every year). It is not the first time that Holi is being celebrated. We Hindus have a population of 100 crore. It may not be possible for us to colour each other. Then, why would we throw colours on other community members?" he told PTI Videos.

After Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Friday prayers can be put off till Holi celebrations conclude in the afternoon on March 14, clerics in several districts have announced a change in namaz timings on that day.

Ayodhya chief cleric Mohammad Haneef said on Wednesday that Friday prayers in all mosques across Ayodhya will be offered after 2 pm in view of Holi celebrations.

In Sambhal, which has witnessed communal tension in recent months, the president of Shahi Jama Masjid Zafar Ali announced that Friday prayers on March 14 will be held at 2:30 pm due to Holi celebrations.

Ali urged members of both communities to celebrate Holi and offer Friday prayers in an atmosphere of harmony. He cautioned against the actions of miscreants, emphasising that such elements exist in every community.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Uttarakhand president and manager of Jwalapur's biggest madrassa Maulana Arif Qasmi also announced a change in timing for Friday prayers in Haridwar.

"Usually, the Friday namaz is held from 1:45 pm to 2:15 pm, but in view of Holi, in the urban areas of Haridwar, the namaz will be offered one to one and a half hours after the scheduled time, i.e., at 2:30 pm, while in the rural areas, it will be offered one to one and a half hours earlier than its scheduled time," he said.

"We have changed the time of Friday prayers so that no one faces any problem and brotherhood and peace remain between Hindus and Muslims," he told PTI Bhasha.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) on Wednesday condemned the "provocative" remarks made by several BJP leaders and ministers ahead of Holi.

In a statement issued after a meeting of the Politburo held on March 11 and 12, the party urged the Centre to take special steps to see that Holi is observed peacefully and communities do not fall prey to any provocation.