The Madhya Pradesh police Wednesday have registered an FIR against a Muslim cleric for urging people to gather to offer Namaz at a Mosque in Ujjain, amidst Coronavirus lockdown. The police pulled out 15/20 Muslims praying together there and sealed the Mosque. This congregation at the Mosque was in violation of the national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Modi to contain the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus.
In the incident which took place at around 8 pm on April 1 (Wednesday), Muslims had gathered to offer Namaz at the Mohammad Mosque in Gandhinagar on Agar Road, Ujjain, Indore. On getting the information, Mandi police station TI Jitendra Bhaskar along with his team reached the spot and rounded up the cleric- Maulvi Haji Mohammed Yunus Waafati Khan, who was conducting the Namaz. He allegedly started arguing with the police after being confronted.
Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh police had earlier arrested a Muslim cleric in Bhagpat area for urging people to gather to offer Friday Namaz at the mosque amidst Coronavirus lockdown. He allegedly used the microphone to invite all the members of his community to join him for the mass prayer (Namaz) at the Mosque. Following the announcement, few alert locals informed the police who then reached the Mosque and arrested the cleric.
Despite the nationwide lockdown, the Islamic repeat offenders have been regularly violating the orders making it difficult for the central and state governments to contain the spread of the deadly infection in the country. When stopped, these people have reportedly been assaulting, pelting stones and moreover engaging in shameless acts like spitting at police personnel, doctors and medical staffers.
Amongst several others, the recent Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi’s Nizammudin area has emerged as the biggest violation of the social distancing norm and nationwide lockdown orders which the government has imposed in view of the pandemic.
On March 31 it was reported that 107 people from Madhya Pradesh had reportedly participated in the religious congregation organised earlier in March by Tablighi Jamaat at Banglewali Masjid in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area. According to the MHA, as many as 9000 Tablighi Jamaat workers and their primary contacts have been traced and placed in quarantine across the country in view of the coronavirus infection. Out of these 9000 people, 1306 are foreign nationals and the rest are Indians, confirmed MHA.
