New Delhi: Asserting that the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin area has caused a ‘big damage’ to the government’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) asked Wednesday all states to ensure strict compliance of the lockdown by madrasas and other religious places.
In a letter to Chief Secretaries of states and Union Territories, NCM chief Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi said the Nizamuddin incident was a ‘serious violation’ of the lockdown, and has put the lives of fellow citizens at risk. The minority body also said that the violators of the lockdown should be punished.
“Strict action should be taken against the violators and those who were present at the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin. Local religious leaders may also be roped in to make the people aware about the guidelines of the lockdown and prevent any gathering in such places,” NCM chief Rizvi said.
India registered 386 new cases of COVID-19 in last 24 hours, taking the tally to 1,637 in the country, the government said Wednesday. The government linked the sharp increase in number of cases to the Tablighi Jamaat meet early March at Nizamuddin which has become the new epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country – from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu. The Nizamuddin incident has caused a ‘big damage’ to the efforts of the government to contain the virus, NCM said.
The government has imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown since March 25 to contain the spread of the virus, which has claimed over 43,000 lives globally and infected more than 8.7 lakh people across 183 countries.
Noting that Friday prayers and other religious congregations have already been stopped in all the religious places in the country, Rizvi who heads the NCM said the step was appreciable.
PTI