The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Centre if the Delhi Disaster Management Authority’s (DDMA) order prohibiting all kinds of gathering in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases was being implemented across the board in the Capital.
Justice Mukta Gupta directed the Centre to indicate the manner in which the April 10 prohibitory orders of the DDMA were being followed and whether any kind of social, religious, political or festive gathering was being permitted.
The direction came while the court was hearing a plea by the Delhi Waqf Board to reopen the Nizamuddin centre where the Tablighi Jamaat congregation are held. It has been locked since March 31 last year.
The HC expressed displeasure over a statement given to the media by the Board’s chairperson, Amanatullah Khan, who said that the court has allowed the mosque to be made operational.
The HC said it was “unfortunate” that such a statement was made when the issue was yet to be decided.
It will hear the case again on April 15.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for the Board, questioned how gatherings are being permitted outside temples in the Capital when the same was prohibited by the DDMA.
He asked whether the DDMA order was applicable only to a particular religious community.
