Patna: Reacting to the controversy revolving around Muslims offering namaz on the streets, Union Food Processing Industries Minister and BJP ally Chirag Paswan branded it as a useless issue, saying that people have been offering namaz on the streets for years.
While talking to a section of the media, Paswan categorically termed the subject as "meaningless and irrelevant" and said that there are several other major issues that need to be discussed. Any discussion on such an irrelevant topic unleashes an atmosphere of tension in society, distracting from more significant national concerns.
Regarding his prominent and major alliance partner BJP, taking up this issue, Paswan said that religious issues are a matter of personal belief and the religious values of everyone should be respected.
Referring to the old traditions of the country, Paswan said that following religious beliefs, people were living peacefully and under harmonious situations, and the issues, either regarding offering Namaz at any place or whether the shops would remain open or closed on the occasion of Navratri, were not required to be discussed anymore.
Branding any such move as politically motivated, the LJP leader said that such an attitude would divide society and suggested refraining from making any comment on issues related to religious beliefs.
He said that if any religious organisation or political parties avoid patronizing each other, the leaders and parties would stop intervening in the religious issues. He said it will solve 90 percent of the problems that precipitate when the religious disputes are unnecessarily fuelled, creating rifts within the communities and people.
As it is, namaz on the streets and other public places has emerged as a key political issue over the past few years. One section was against practicing religious customs in public places, while the other pleaded that it should not be made an issue unless it created inconvenience to anyone.
