New Delhi, April 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Delhi High Court today allowed the re-opening of certain areas of Nizamuddin Markaz of Tableeghi Jamaat to enable devotees to offer prayers during the month of Ramadan. The Markaz was locked by the Indian government after a congregation was held there in March 2020 claiming that the gathering had led to the mass spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Jasmeet Singh, who was hearing a plea by the Delhi Waqf Board seeking a direction to open the mosque for the holy month, clarified that no “Tablighi activities” and lectures can take place on the premises and only prayers can be offered.
“It is directed that for Ramadan, namaz and religious prayers shall be permitted to be offered on the ground floor and four floors at Masjid Bangle Wali. This arrangement is only for the one month of Ramadan culminating with Eid Ul Fitr,” ordered the court. It added that the instant permission was in continuation of the March 16 order which imposed various conditions for the reopening of the premises for the occasion of Shab-e-Bharat.
The court further directed the installation of CCTV cameras at the entry, exit and stairs of each floor of the premises and said that it shall be the responsibility of the markaz management to ensure that the cameras are fully functional during the period of Ramadan.
The application for reopening the markaz was filed in the Board’s 2021 petition which has sought the reopening of the premises on the ground that even after unlock-1 guidelines permitted religious places outside containment zones to be opened, the Markaz – comprising the Masjid Bangle Wali, Madarsa Kashif-ul-Uloom, and attached hostel – continues to be locked up.
Several FIRs were registered under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, the Foreigners Act and various provisions of the Indian penal code in connection with the Tablighi Jamaat event held at the Nizamuddin Markaz and the subsequent stay of foreigners there during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
It is to mention here that the Modi government has kept the Muslim worship places locked and disallowed the Muslims to hold religious gatherings in the name of restrictions on account of coronavirus pandemic for the last two years. However, no such curbs were imposed on Hindu religious activities were allowed and at some of such gatherings calls for a genocide of Muslims were announced by Hindutva leaders.
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