National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre over Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s remarks related to Muslims offering Namaz in public places.

Alleging that only a particular community is being targeted by the authorities in the country, Omar Abdullah said that the Jammu and Kashmir didn’t merge with this India.

“It would have been fine if this restriction was on every religion but the policy of pick and choose shows a particular religion is on target. Jammu and Kashmir didn’t merge with this India,” ANI quoted Omar as saying.

His remarks came two days after the Haryana Chief Minister said that namaz should not be offered in the open and the practice “will not be tolerated”, adding an “amicable solution” needs to be found.

CM Khattar had made the remarks in connection with the Friday prayers that are being disrupted in Haryana’s Gurugram over the past few weeks.

“We have told the police and the Deputy Commissioner that this issue has to be resolved. To resolve it, everyone offers prayers at their own place, someone offers namaz, someone does paath, someone does puja, we have no issue with that,” he said.

“And religious places are built for these purposes only so that prayers are offered there. Such practises should not take place in the open, this practice of offering namaz prayers here in the open, will not be tolerated,” the Haryana CM added.

Pro-Hindu outfits disrupt Friday prayers

Earlier on Friday, residents and members of various pro-Hindu organisations staged a protest against conducting Namaz (Friday prayers) in an open site at Sector 37, in Gurugram. Prayers were also disrupted by these groups at parks in sector 44 and sector 29, too.

They included several people who had been arrested on October 29 for allegedly attempting to disrupt Friday prayers.