02 June,2026 12:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. Pic/X
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has urged Mumbai's civic and police authorities to stop the offering of prayers on public roads, claiming that the practice causes inconvenience to commuters and disrupts normal public movement.
In a post on X, Kirit Somaiya said he had written to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Municipal Commissioner, requesting immediate action on the issue.
In his letter, Somaiya stated that namaz are being conducted at several locations outside railway stations and on public roads across Mumbai. He alleged that such gatherings have, at times, led to traffic congestion and disrupted daily activities.
According to Kirit Somaiya, namaz are often held on Friday afternoons in areas with heavy pedestrian and vehicular movement, including roads, public squares and locations near railway stations.
The BJP leader argued that no group should be allowed to disrupt the routine functioning of the city by occupying public spaces during working hours.
The BJP leader also questioned whether allowing prayers on roads and outside railway stations could set a precedent for similar use of public spaces by other groups.
Referring to judicial restrictions on religious, cultural and political events in public grounds, gardens and open spaces, Somaiya said authorities should apply similar standards to religious gatherings conducted on roads and other public areas.
The BJP leader further expressed concern that permitting such activities could encourage the occupation of public spaces for religious purposes in the future.
The BJP leader urged the Mumbai Police Commissioner, the Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police, the Municipal Commissioner and the district collectors of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban to take immediate steps to prevent namaz from being conducted on roads and other public thoroughfares.
The letter has added to the ongoing debate over the use of public spaces for religious activities and the balance between freedom of worship and public convenience in densely populated urban areas such as Mumbai.
Last year, Somaiya led a protest in Mumbai's Mulund area, demanding the removal of illegal loudspeakers from mosques.
The protest, which took place outside the Mulund police station, was organised to press for the swift removal of these loudspeakers, which Kirit Somaiya claims contribute significantly to noise pollution.
