Lucknow: Muslim leaders and Hindu saints on Friday hailed the Ghaziabad administration’s decision in Uttar Pradesh to make police verification and identity cards mandatory for gym trainers, saying such a stance will prevent criminal activities as well as illegal religious conversions.
Supporting the decision, Indian Sufi Foundation President Kashish Warsi said: “No work should be done by concealing one’s identity. It is a good decision because it is possible that a criminal conceals his identity and starts working as gym trainer. In that case, his identity verification will be useful so nobody should have any objection to it.”
“Politics should not be done over this issue,” he added.
Maulana Mufti Mohammad Sajid Qasmi supported the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to verify the qualifications and identities of gym trainers and operators, saying: “Aadhar card and other identity documents must be checked whether the concerned person should be allowed or not.”
Citing an example, Qasmi said: “If a doctor does not have a degree, he cannot run a clinic. Similarly, only if a gym trainer’s identity verified and is proven capable of running a gym, he can do so.”
“It is a good decision by the Uttar Pradesh government,” he asserted.
All India Muslim Jamaat President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi also came in support of police verification of gym trainers in Ghaziabad while suggesting separate gyms for males and females.
“Males should not be allowed to enter female-only gyms and vice-versa. With such a system in place, nobody will be able to complain. The Shariat also prescribes for such an arrangement,” he told IANS.
Echoing similar view, Mahant Sitaram Das of Ayodhya’s Saket Bhavan temple said: “All gyms should be inspected, and gym trainers should also be verified. It should be known which community, faith, or religion they belong to.”
“We have continuously seen instances where our sisters and daughters are allegedly being influenced toward religious conversion through gyms. The order issued to curb such activities is commendable, and I welcome it,” he added.
Moreover, he appealed for the implementation of similar orders in other establishments as well, so that “Sanatan culture can be protected”.
Alleging that “gyms are being used for love jihad”, Sant Varun Dasji Maharaj urged for the strict implementation of such an order.
(IANS)
