Namaaz at Mathura temple: Sant Samaj for strict action against culprits; FIR lodged against 4

The Mathura police filed an FIR against four people after two of them allegedly offered `namaaz` at a temple in the Uttar Pradesh city.

New Delhi: The Sant Samaj at Ayodhya is irked over the recent incident of the offering of Namaaz at Mathura's Nand Baba temple in Mathura. Mahant Gauri Shankar Das, national general secretary of Ayodhya Hanumangarhi Nirvani Ani Akhara, has expressed serious concern over this incident and sought strict action against Muslim youths who have committed such acts. 

Mahant Gauri Shankar Das said that offering Namaaz in the temple is a part of a larger conspiracy, asking the state government to take strict action should those who offered Namaz on the temple premises. 

The Mathura police, however, filed an FIR against four people after two of them allegedly offered `namaaz` at a temple in the Uttar Pradesh city. 

According to reports, Faizal Khan and Chand Mohammed offered namaaz, while two others -- Alok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta -- clicked their pictures, which were then circulated on social media. The incident took place at around 12.30 pm at Nand Baba Mandir in Nandgaon on October 29.

The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Mukesh Goswami, Shivhari Goswami, and Kanha on Sunday night. The four are members of a Delhi-based organisation called `Khudai Khidmatgar`, according to the FIR. The accused have been booked under Sections 153-A, 295, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR reads: "Their act has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. We have a concern that these photographs do not get misused or if there is any foreign funding behind this incident. This should also be probed if this act was intended to stir communal tensions." 

UP Minister Srikant Sharma said that some people are trying to create tension in the society in the name of religion. He said that strict legal action would be taken against the culprits. 

The Ram Janmabhoomi chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das, has also termed the incident as a corrupt mentality of Muslim youth, seeking strict action against the culprits. 

Jagatguru Swami Ram Dineshacharya has also expressed displeasure over the incident and sought action against the culprits.