Namaz should be offered only at designated places, not roads: Dhami

Dehradun: Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said the state would not allow namaz on roads and that prayers should be conducted at designated places only. His remarks come days after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said religious practices should be held at designated places of worship and not on roads.Dhami said, “Recently, a senior Congress leader had said that offering namaz on roads should be allowed. Namaz should be offered, but in mosques, Idgahs and homes.”“Prayers should be offered at designated places and this system should not be disrupted. No one has the right to disrupt it. Our system says that we should follow the law,” said Dhami.Referring to the ongoing Char Dham yatra, Dhami said people from across the country were visiting Uttarakhand for the pilgrimage. “We will not allow streets to become a medium for religious demonstrations or obstructions. We have decided that any Sanatani or pilgrim coming to Uttarakhand should not face any problem,” he added.On allegations of politicisation of the issue, Dhami said some people viewed every issue through the lens of vote-bank politics. “People should rise above vote-bank politics. In Devbhoomi, some people have been engaging in appeasement, but we will not do so. We will not allow anyone to disrupt peace, culture and discipline,” he said.