In one of the strongest condemnations of the Tablighi Jamaat, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday termed its religious congregation a “Talibani crime”and an “unpardonable sin” committed “intentionally” by the organisation.
The National Commission for Minorities also said the Jamaat caused a “big damage” and asked states to ensure strict compliance of the lockdown by madrasas and other religious places. It is said many congregation participants in Delhi stayed in as many as 16 mosques in the national capital.
“Talibani Crime by Tablighi Jamaat. This is not negligence. It’s a serious criminal act. When the entire country is fighting united against Corona, such a sin is unpardonable,” the minority affairs minister said in a tweet.
Naqvi said Tablighi Jamaat cannot be pardoned for the religious gathering in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area amid the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
Naqvi also posted on his social media accounts messages by Muslim religious leaders appealing to people to strictly follow the coronavirus lockdown and other guidelines to control the virus.
Reacting on the Tablighi Jamaat gathering at Nizamuddin area, Naqvi said, “They have put lives of many people in danger. Strict action should be taken against such people and organisations that defy government directions. This has been done intentionally and this is unfortunate. People who are not obeying the lockdown should not be forgiven.”
In a letter to chief secretaries of states and union territories, NCM chief Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi said the Nizamuddin incident was a “serious violation” of the lockdown, and has put the lives of fellow citizens at risk.