Delhi’s Jama Masjid imam agrees to revoke order barring entry of women

The Jama Masjid on Thursday withdrew its order restricting the entry of women in the mosque, after an outrage over the issue prompted Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to intervene. Earlier in the day, the administration of the Jama Masjid had decided to ban solitary and group entry for girls inside its premises. According to Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam, the decision was taken after some ‘incidents’ were reported on the premises of the heritage structure. Mosque's PRO Sabiullah Khan earlier justified the decision saying that when women come alone, ‘improper acts’ are witnessed at the religious place and the ban is intended to stop such practices. However, the diktat has evoked sharp responses from people who described the decision as regressive. The National Commission for Women (NCW) asked the Centre and the Delhi government to take appropriate action against the ban on the entry of 'girls' into the Jama Masjid, calling it gender-biased and a violation of fundamental rights of women worshippers.