Centre takes U-turn on Markaz prayers in Delhi HC
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New Delhi: Within 24 hours after agreeing to allow devotees into the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi during Ramzan, the Centre, takes a U-turn and told the Delhi High Court that all religious gatherings have been banned under new disaster management rules in the capital.
The Delhi high court on Monday has rejected the Centre and Delhi Police's submission that only 20 people are to be allowed to enter the premises at a time out of a police-verified list of 200 persons, citing that there cannot be a fixed list of devotees allowed to enter the Nizamuddin Markaz when no other religious place has such norms.
Questioning the massive crowds at the Mahakumbh Mela in Uttarakhand's Hardwar in defiance of Covid rules, the court asked
"By virtue of these notifications, which have been issued recently, for religious places, have you curtailed the gathering to 20 at a time? What is the maximum number which you have given for each of the religious places."
The court has also asked the Centre to state its new stand on banning all religious, political, academic, social and sports gatherings in an affidavit.
The Delhi Waqf Board had told the court that it would be difficult to draw up a list of 200.
The court responded that the mosque did not need a fixed number of devotees when no other place of religious worship does.
On Tuesday, the Centre changed its argument and referred to the Delhi Disaster Management Act guidelines stopping all religious gatherings. The rules apply only to Delhi.