Eid-ul-Fitr: Asaduddin Owaisi slams Meerut cop's namaz-on-road warning: ‘Flowers for some, punishment for others’

Eid-ul-Fitr: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised Meerut's top cop's warning against Muslims found offering congregational namaz on the roads during Eid-ul-Fitr, calling it a ‘discriminatory’ diktat.

Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, drew parallels with Uttar Pradesh police showering flowers on kanwariyas – the Hindu pilgrims – from chopper by police in the same district of Uttar Pradesh.

“A top cop said in Meerut that those found offering namaz on road will have their passports and gun licences cancelled. We (Muslims) offer namaz on roads, you will cancel our passports and if somone else (Hindus) walk on roads, you will shower flowers from helicopter. This is your justice system,” Owaisi said addressing a gathering at the historic Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad on March 28, the last Friday of Ramadan 2025.

What is Meerut cop's warning?

Owaisi's comments came days after Police in Meerut, a district inWestern Uttar Pradeshunder the rule of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, warned of strict action against what it called unauthorised roadside prayers. The police said action against the violators may even lead to their passports getting cancelled and driving licences revoked.

The warning was issued on March 27, a day beforeAlvida Jummah, the last Friday of Ramadan 2025. Muslims offer congregational Friday prayers in the afternoon. Ramadan 2025 will end withEid-ul-Fitrearly next week, the occasion for which congregational prayers by Muslims in the morning are usually spilled over to the roads.

Showering Flowers on Kanwar Yatra

Owaisi's remarks about ‘showering flowers from helicopter’ perhaps referred to senior administration and police officials showering flower petals from helicopters on Kanwar Yatra pilgrims in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and Baghpat districts in past.

The Kanwar Yatra is a significant Hindu pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel to collect holy water from the Ganges River and carry it back to their local Shiva temples, typically during the month of Shravan.

The Meerut police's warning didn't go well with Jayant Singh, RLD chief and a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. Singh criticised Meerut top cop's warning calling it ‘Policing towards Orwellian 1984.’

Singh is chief of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) – part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – and currently serving as the Minister of State (MoS), Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

When is Eid-ul-Fitr 2025?

Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, will be celebrated in India next week. Ramadan 2025 started in India on March 2. Thus, Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on either March 31 or April 1, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.

The sighting of the moon signals the beginning of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is either of 29 days or 30 days. If the crescent is sighted on March 30, which is 29th Ramadan in India, Eid-ul-Fitr will be on Monday, March 31. Or else on April 1, in case the crescent is not sighted on Sunday night.

Muslims offer special congregational prayers on Eid called ‘Eid namaz’ early in the morning. The special namaz is offered either in Eidgahs of in mosques in cities across India.