A letter petition has been sent to Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde seeking directions to the Centre and the Delhi government to impose a “complete ban” on the activities of Tablighi Jamaat with immediate effect.
At least 9,000 people had participated in the religious gathering at Tablighi Jamaat’s headquarters in Delhi’s Nizamuddin West last month.
Out of over 4,000 cases of COVID-19 infections in the country, at least 1,445 have been found to be linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi, the Union Health Ministry had said on Monday.
The letter petition has sought a direction to the Centre and Delhi government to transfer the investigation to the CBI to probe into the alleged “conspiracy of spreading the infection throughout India in the garb of congregation.”
The petition filed by Delhi-based Ajay Gautam has sought a direction to the Delhi government to demolish the building of the organization at Nizamuddin here under the provision of the MCD Act.
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Mr. Gautam had urged the CJI to treat his letter petition as a writ petition.
It has also sought a direction to the authorities to take strict action against the officers of police and civil administration, who had failed in strict compliance of the orders by Delhi government which restricted gatherings to maximum of 50 persons, and later to 20.
It said several persons from foreign countries, which were affected by coronavirus, had participated in the congregation held from March 12 to March 15 here.
On April 6, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had moved the Supreme Court alleging that a section of media is spreading communal hatred over last month’s Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi.
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The Muslim body has sought directions to the Centre to stop dissemination of “fake news” and take strict action against those responsible for it.
The plea by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and the secretary of its legal cell, through lawyer Ejaz Maqbool, has contended that the unfortunate incident of the Tablighi Jamaat was being used to “demonise” and blame the entire Muslim community.
The plea by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has said that this “demonisation” of the community has led to serious “threat to life and liberty of Muslims”, and has thus led to the violation of their “right to life under Article 21” of the Constitution.
