Nizamuddin Markaz: Centre tells HC all religious gatherings banned in Delhi

In a U-turn over allowing prayers at the Nizamuddin Markaz during Ramzan, the Centre on Wednesday (April 14) told the Delhi High Court that all religious gatherings have been banned in the capital under new disaster management rules.

The case has come up at a time when massive crowds have gathered at the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand’s Hardwar in defiance of COVID rules.

The Centre had earlier told the court that a list of 200 people can be submitted to the police but only 20 people may enter the mosque at a single time to comply with social distancing norms. Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing the Delhi Waqf Board, told the court that they would follow all the protocol but it would be practically difficult to compile such a list.

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Masjid Bangley Wali in Nizamuddin in south Delhi has been closed since March last year after a case was registered over a gathering of Tablighi Jamaat sect at a time when COVID cases had started rising in the country.

The Delhi High Court is hearing a petition by the Delhi Waqf Board requesting that the restrictions be eased to allow people to pray inside the mosque.

On Monday (April 12), the court reacted sharply to the Centre’s argument that only 20 people could be allowed inside the complex for prayers at a time from a list of 200 people verified by the police.

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“In your notifications, have you curtailed the gathering to 20 at a time for religious places,” the court questioned. The court has asked the government to state its new stand on banning all religious, political, academic, social and sports gatherings in an affidavit.

The Delhi Waqf Board had told the court that it would be difficult to draw up a list of 200.