By RINA International Service
New Delhi: Idul Adha prayers was observed this year at 9:00 a.m. on December 21 at Shahi Masjid of Safdar Jang Mausoleum and Madrasa Abul Mansoor. It is well known that archaeological department had stopped observance of Namaz in this mosque long back. In 1983, Muslims started their struggle against this prohibition. Every Friday, they used to come in buses and throng at Safdar Jang Mausoleum’s Shahi Masjid where heavily flanked armed police stopped them from going inside and, therefore, they had to go through Friday sermon and prayer on the road in a peaceful manner and return back.
After a long struggle, erstwhile Indian prime minister late Indira Gandhi paid attention to this issue and prohibition of Namaz in this historical mosque was revoked on March 3, 1984. Then a joyful swarm of ten thousand Muslims observed Friday prayer in the lead of Maulana Nawabuddin Naqshbandi on the advice of senior Ulema of the Millat. Friday and Id prayers were being observed regularly in this mosque till 1997 when notorious of archaeology department interfered in Namaz but hundreds of Muslims entered into the mosque and observed prayers whereupon the officer registered a false complaint and involved the Imam and ten other Muslims in a false case. The case still lingers on.