Mumbai, Feb 25 BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Wednesday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking strict action after a video surfaced showing staff and locals offering namaz inside the electricity department office of the Malegaon Municipal Corporation.
Speaking to IANS, Kirit Somaiya said, “Now, namaz is being offered openly inside a Municipal Corporation office. A video of the incident was also recorded and made viral on social media.”
He further stated, “I have spoken to officials of the Municipal Corporation and have also written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, stating that namaz cannot be offered inside government offices. Whoever is responsible for this act should face strict action. The police should also register an FIR in this matter.”
The controversy erupted after a video showing namaz being offered inside the electricity department office went viral, triggering widespread debate and sharp political reactions.
The episode is reportedly linked to a long-standing electricity issue in one of the city’s wards. Local residents alleged that despite repeated complaints and written representations to the Municipal Corporation, the power supply problem remained unresolved.
To press their demands, residents of the affected ward, led by Lukman Kamal, president of the Malegaon Lok Sangharsh Samiti, staged a protest at the electricity department office. As the protest coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and the scheduled time for Asr prayers, the protesters offered namaz in congregation inside the office premises.
The video of the prayers being offered inside the government office quickly spread across social media platforms, sparking intense discussions across the city. While some residents described the act as a peaceful and unavoidable form of protest, others questioned the appropriateness of conducting religious prayers inside a government office.
Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Narayan Rane said, "That’s why I repeatedly say, these madrasas are centres for training terrorists. There is no education or respect in them. If we had made such an initiative in an Islamic country, to teach the Bhagavad Gita there, would we have even been given permission?..."
BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, "No, this is an illegal act and against the Constitution. I demand that the municipal corporation should be immediately dismissed by the state government, and strict action be taken against those who attempted to organize the Namaz..."
Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad said, "Religion should not be linked with administration. Religion should remain separate. If you want to offer prayers, you can go to a mosque; no one is stopping you. But do not turn government offices into places of worship..."
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