New Delhi: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Wednesday said that Tablighi Jamaat's international congregation at it's headquarters in Delhi's Nizamuddin last month caused a big damage to the country in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
"Strict action should be taken against the violators. Local religious leaders may also be roped in to make the people aware about the guidelines of the lockdown and prevent any gathering at such places," he stated in the letter.
The government has imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown since March 25 to contain the spread of the virus, which has claimed over 42,000 lives globally and infected more than 8.7 lakh people across 183 countries.
In another letter sent to several religious leaders of minority communities, NCM chief requested to advise minority committee members to assist in enforcing the lockdown in all religious places and educational institutions and prevent any gathering.
Noting that Friday prayers and other religious congregations have already been stopped in all the religious places in the country, Rizvi said the step was appreciable.
Meanwhile, Tablighi Jamaat's on Thursday slammed media reports stating that its chief Maulana Saad and its members are 'hiding', and clarified that as the authorities have sealed the Markaz premises in Nizamuddin, the office bearers of the Jamadar currently operating from their residences in and around Nizamuddin.
Notably, over 2,000 people have been evacuated from Nizamuddin Markaz in last three days and an FIR was lodged against Maulana Saad, Zeeshan, Mufti Shehzad, M Saifi, Younus, Mohammed Salman and Mohd Ashraf.
According to a FIR copy, the seven people were responsible for the gathering and the allowed visitors to continue living in the building despite notice issued to them on March 24. They have been charged under the epidemic disease act.
India registered 386 new cases of COVID-19 in last 24 hours, taking the tally to 1,637 in the country, the government said on Wednesday, and linked the sharp increase in number of cases to the Tablighi meet since early March at Nizamuddin which has become the new epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country --from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu.
With Inputs from PTI
Also read: People travelled with Nizamuddin Markaz returnees fear as COVID-19 cases rise
