Centre’s U-Turn In Delhi High Court Over Prayers At Markaz

The High Court is hearing a petition by the Delhi Waqf Board requesting that the restrictions be eased to allow people to pray inside the Markaz.

A day after agreeing to allow devotees into the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi during Ramzan, the Centre, in a turnaround, told the Delhi High Court that all religious gatherings have been banned under new disaster management rules in the capital. The case involves the Masjid Bangley Wali in Nizamuddin in south Delhi, which has been shut since March last year after a case was registered over a gathering of the Tablighi Jamaat sect held at a time coronavirus cases had started rising in India. The High Court is hearing a petition by the Delhi Waqf Board requesting that the restrictions be eased to allow people to pray inside the Markaz. On Monday, the court had reacted sharply to the Centre's statement that only 20 people can be allowed to enter the complex for prayers at a time from a list of 200 people verified by the police.