• Source:JND
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A day after a police officer in Uttar Pradesh advised Muslims to stay indoors during Holi 2025 if they felt uncomfortable with colours, Imam of Lucknow Eidgah Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali issued an advisory urging Muslims to offer Friday namaz at their local mosques on March 14.

In his statement on Thursday, Maulana Khalid Rashid recommended that mosques where Juma (Friday prayers) are typically held between 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm should consider postponing them to 2:00 pm. He stated that since Holi coincides with the second Friday of Ramzan, Muslims should avoid travelling to distant mosques and instead offer prayers in their localities.

"This year, the second Juma of Ramzan is on March 14, which will be celebrated as Holi. Hence, Muslims should not go to a distant mosque for namaz, but offer the prayer at a mosque in their locality," he said. The Imam also announced that at Jama Masjid Eidgah in Lucknow, Friday prayers would be held at 2:00 pm instead of the usual 12:45 pm.

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The advisory came a day after Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary, during a peace committee meeting at Kotwali police station, remarked that those who feel uncomfortable with Holi colours should remain indoors. He added that Holi is celebrated once a year, whereas Friday prayers are held 52 times annually, implying that adjustments could be made.

His statement triggered criticism from opposition parties, who accused him of bias and demanded action against him, arguing that such remarks were inappropriate for a police officer.

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Similarly, in Bareilly, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi, president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, also called on Imams to reschedule Friday prayers to 2:30 pm in areas with mixed populations, while stating that no changes were necessary in predominantly Muslim localities.

He further advised Muslims to avoid staying on the streets for more than 3-4 hours on Holi and to remain cautious if they had to step out for urgent work. Maulana Razvi urged patience during Ramzan, suggesting that if anyone was accidentally coloured, they should wash it off without confrontation, as Holi colours do not render clothes impure.