NEW DELHI: Tabligi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Khandhlawi has released an audio message saying he is in quarantine. He has also urged his followers to follow the law.
“Quarantine yourself, no matter where you are, it is not against Islam or Shariyat,” he said through an audio message posted on the Markaz’s YouTube channel.
“I am in self-quarantine in Delhi as advised by the doctors and appeal to all Jamaat wherever they are in the country to follow the directives of the law,” Khandhlawi is reportedly saying in the clip.
An FIR has been lodged against the Maulana for organizing a religious gathering at Nizamuddin in Delhi. This despite the government urging people to cancel all religious gatherings.
The police have conducted raids at some of his residences and are on the lookout for the Chief of the sect.
Khandhlawi’s great grandfather was the founder of the movement
Nizamuddin has now emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 in India. Despite warnings from the government which had banned mass gatherings, authorities at Nizamuddin had gone ahead with the margaz where more than 2000 people from the country as well as all around the world had participated.
A lot of people who went back after attending the religious gathering had tested positive for coronavirus. Some deaths have also occurred.
It was on March 13 when 3400 people had arrived there for Tablighi Jamaat. This was when the Delhi CM had warned against mass gatherings of more than 200 people.
A few days later, the CM of Delhi out an upper limit of 50 for mass gathering but people at the gathering did not pay heed.
A few days later 10 people who were Indonesians tested positive for coronavirus at Telangana.
Then on March 22 Janata curfew was announced.
Next day 1500 left Nizamuddin.
And then the nation was out under 3 weeks lockdown which is why, Nizamuddin authorities say that people could not leave or vacate.
Questions have also been raised on the role of Delhi Police and what they were doing when such a gathering was underway at the heart of the city.