Delhi Government will request Delhi Police to register an FIR against the Maulana of Markaz, Nizamuddin for violating lockdown conditions imposed in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic, it has said. “It has come to our knowledge that administrators of Nizammuddin Markaz violated Coronavirus Lockdown conditions and now several positive cases have been found. Strong action would be taken against those in charge of this establishment,” Delhi Government said.

It has come to our knowledge that administrators of Nizammuddin Markaz violated #CoronavirusLockdown conditions&now several positive cases have been found. Strong action would be taken against those in charge of this establishment: Delhi Government — ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2020

“Lockdown was imposed in entire India on 24th March and it was the duty of every owner and administrator of every hotel, guesthouse, hostel and similar establishment to maintain social distancing. It looks like social distancing and quarantine protocols was not practiced here,” the Delhi Government said. “By this gross act of negligence, many lives have been endangered. It was the responsibility of every citizen to proactively avoid such gathering of people during the lockdown and this is nothing but a criminal act. After the centre informed us about the first positive patient and requested assistance we moved all symptomatic patients to our medical facilities and as a safety precaution all non symptomatic contacts have been moved to the quarantine centres,” Delhi Government added.

Earlier, it was reported that between three hundred and four hundred people had attended a religious gathering at Markaz and 163 people, likely to be infected with the Chinese Coronavirus, had been admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi. In a letter addressed to Delhi ACP Atul Kumar, the Markaz said that they were in compliance with all prohibitory orders issued by the government. “Presently several Indian as well as foreign Tableeghi volunteers belonging to different states of India and different countries remain confined and isolated inside the Markaz,” the letter said.

Dr Mohammad Shoaib, spokesperson of the Nizamuddin Markaz said, “Yesterday, we provided a list of names to the administration of those who had any health issue, including cold and fever. Some of them have been admitted in the hospital on the basis of age and travel history. We don’t have any confirmed COVID-19 case till now.”

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Earlier this month, several hundred people from across India and abroad had attended the Islamic religious conference by the “Tableeghi Jamaat” preachers at the Banglewali Masjid, the Mosque near the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. Many cases of coronavirus deaths have now been traced to the Muslim event at the Banglewali Mosque which had seen a large gathering. The Mosque is the global centre for the Tablighi network and the origin of the Tablighi Jamaat, as per Wikipedia.

The Tableeghi Jamaat has emerged as a great medium for spreading the virus. Hundreds of people across the world have contracted the virus after attending events organized by the Islamic organization.