Delhi High Court allows 50 people to offer prayers at Nizamuddin Markaz during Ramzan

The court allowed the limited number of people to offer prayers on the first floor of the Nizamuddin Markaz subject to disaster management rules evoked to contain the spread of coronavirus infection.

Last year in March, Masjid Bangley Wali in Nizamuddin in south Delhi was closed following a case registered over a gathering of the Tablighi Jamaat sect organised at a time when coronavirus cases were growing in India.

The Centre had informed the Delhi High Court that religious gatherings in the capital have been banned under new disaster management rules, a day after allowing devotees into the Nizamuddin Markaz for Ramzan.

The Delhi Waqf Board filed a petition seeking courts directive to ease restrictions to allow people to pray inside Nizamuddin Markaz during Ramzan.

The court had questioned Centre's decision to allow 20 people at a time inside the Makaz for prayers from the list of 200 people verified by the police.

The court asked the Centre to submit its new stand on banning all social, religious, cultural, political, sports and academic gatherings in an affidavit.

"The competent authority will file an affidavit indicating as to the manner in which clause (ii) of the prohibition at Sr.No.1, Annexure-A to the order dated 10th April, 2021 of the DDMA is being implemented and whether religious/festival related and other gatherings and congregations are being permitted to take place or not including in the temples, mosques, churches etc. in the region of NCT of Delhi," the Court directed, reported Bar and Bench.

The Delhi High Court had also said a list of 200 people is not acceptable.

On Tuesday, the Centre referred to the Delhi Disaster Management Act guidelines stopping all religious gatherings, a rule which applies only to Delhi.