The Shiv Sena on Friday condemned the holding of religious gathering in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area at the time of coronavirus pandemic and called it an “inhuman” act coming down heavily on the organisers of the last month’s event. The mega gathering at Tablighi Jamaat’s headquarters in the national capital, attended by delegate from across India and also abroad, became a COVID-19 hotspot in the country.

“What religious and national service have these people done by such a congregation in the name of Islam. In fact, it is inhuman and great disservice,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ”Saamana”.

“Masjids in Islamic countries have been closed down and people have been asked to offer namaz at their home. There is a lockdown even in Mecca and Medina,” it said.

The editorial said the event has increased concerns about coronavirus spread in the country. “The programme saw congregation of over 5,000 people from 22 states in the country and eight foreign countries. Out of the 5,000 participants, 2,000 were foreigners.

“Out of these delegates, 380 have tested coronavirus positive. This is nothing but unforgivable negligence and show of arrogance by fundamentalists,” the editorial said.

The Delhi police have said that they had asked the organisers to stop the gathering. The organisers, on the other hand, say the police and administration did not give passes to delegates to move out during the lockdown, the editorial said.

“What is truth only these two will know. But just like the police cleared the Shaheen Bagh protest area after the Delhi assembly polls, this event also could have been stopped using force.

“This was a matter of national health and not religion. The Muslim community, too, would have supported such a move. Violating the lockdown is playing with other people’s lives,” it said. The paper also noted that the issue came handy for those who want to play Hindu-Muslim politics.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered imposing of the National Security Act (NSA) against the Tablighi Jamaat patients in Ghaziabad for allegedly misbehaving with medical staff while being in quarantine at the district hospital’s isolation ward. “They would not follow the law, they would not follow the system, they are enemies of humanity, whatever they have done with women health workers is a heinous crime. We are imposing NSA on them,” CM Adityanath said, referring to the Ghaziabad incident related to the Tablighi Jamaat members.