Old banner prohibiting namaz on road in Meerut falsely shared as recent

Netizens claim that the banner was put up on the premises of a mosque in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. This follows an FIR against 150 people in Agra for offering prayers on the road without permission.

Journalist Ashok Shrivastav tweeted: "In Agra, the police registered an FIR against 150 people who offered Namaz on the road without permission, after which banners have been hung in the mosque of Meerut that no one should offer Namaz on the road. If the law is strictly followed, the lawbreakers themselves will improve, #Modi ji's UP is setting an example for this."

Below are a few more claims.

FACT CHECK:

A reverse image search led to a 2019 Hindi article on the news application Inshorts. It states that the banner was put up as an appeal by Meerut's Darbaar Wali Masjid after the Inspector General of Meerut issued orders to prohibit any religious events on the road.

Meerut Police shared the same picture on Twitter in August 2019.

According to India Today and Navbharat Times, the banner was put up after people offered namaz outside the premises of a Mosque. The crowd had obstructed traffic and blocked roads. The administration made arrangements to ensure traffic is not affected during the Friday prayers.

Director-General of police had said that religious communities would not be allowed to hold religious gatherings on roads if it interrupted the traffic flow or caused inconvenience to others. However, there has been no mention of an FIR being registered against 150 people in Agra, for offering prayers on the road without permission.

Therefore, an old picture of a banner requesting people not to pray on roads in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh is being shared as recent.