Darbhanga: A recent controversy over Holi and Friday namaaz throughout Ramzan erupted in Bihar with Darbhanga Mayor Anjum Ara advocating a “two-hour break” in celebration of the competition of colors to facilitate the Muslim prayer. Nonetheless, she retracted her assertion later, claiming it was “misinterpreted” and he or she was “able to apologise”.
The proposal was mooted by Ara at a gathering of the peace committee within the north Bihar city not too long ago, after which she informed the media, “My plea was that the time of ‘jumma namaaz’ can’t be deferred. So, let there be a two-hour break, from midday to 2 pm, throughout which Hindus shall keep away from locations within the neighborhood of mosques.”
“This could allow folks from each faiths to hold out their respective practices with none hassles. We perceive that Holi comes solely as soon as in a 12 months. However we additionally have to needless to say for Muslims, it’s the holy month of Ramzan,” the mayor added.
Together with her remarks making a furore, she mentioned on Wednesday, “There was a flawed interpretation of my remarks as a result of the media performed an edited excerpt of my assertion. But, if I’ve damage any sentiments, I’m able to apologise. My solely want is that every one the folks of Darbhanga rejoice their festivals fortunately.”
Her remarks drew an offended response from Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, a BJP MLA from the adjoining district of Madhubani, who was in information not too long ago for asking Muslims to “keep indoors” if they’d an issue with Holi.
Chatting with reporters on the meeting premises, he mentioned, “The place are the self-proclaimed secularists who had been attacking me? The mayor of Darbhanga has nearly known as for ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ to transform India into an Islamic caliphate.”
He additionally warned of a “pratikaar (retaliation) in opposition to those that first partitioned the nation and at the moment are intruding into the social lifetime of Hindus”.
He additionally sought “investigation into shady (sandigdh) report” of Ara and her household, who’re mentioned to be supporters of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), a BJP ally.
Nonetheless, senior JD(U) chief and minister Shravan Kumar mentioned, “The administration isn’t supposed to inform the folks when and how one can rejoice a competition. These choices are greatest left to the society and the administration should all the time think about sustaining the rule of regulation.”
He additionally disapproved of the remarks by Bachaul, saying, “Elected representatives mustn’t ever use a language that hurts a piece of the society.”
RJD MLA Bhai Virendra, whose get together is taken into account the primary selection of Muslims in Bihar, felt the mayor of Darbhanga had provide you with “a response to the polarising techniques of the likes of Bachaul, who’re hell-bent upon destroying ‘Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb’ (communal concord)”.
