However, the police said foreigners will not be allowed inside the Markaz premises and no “Tablighi activities” will be permitted during the reopening period. Nearly two years after Markaz Nizamuddin was locked and public entry was prohibited in connection with an alleged case of violation of Covid-19 norms, the Delhi Police have permitted the management to hold prayers on four floors of at Masjid Bangley Wali on Shab-e-Barat. However, only less than 100 people will be allowed on each storey, in accordance with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDA) guidelines.
“Ground+ Three Floors of Masjid Bangley Wali be reopened at 12 pm one day before Shab-e-Baraat and will be closed on the next day of Shab-e-Baraat at 4 pm,” said a police official, adding only fully vaccinated people or asymptomatic people will be allowed inside the premises.
However, the police said foreigners will not be allowed inside the Markaz premises and no “Tablighi activities” will be permitted during the reopening period.
“However, if some devotee of the foreign origin or OCI Cardholder intends/insists to offer Namaj at Masjid Bangley Wali, then his identity details i.e photocopy of his passport/OCI card along with a photocopy of any other available photo identity card will be taken by management and will be submitted to SHO,” the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station has said in the letter to the Delhi Waqf Board.
The police have also said there will be a separate register on the main entry for maintaining records of the devotees or visitors. “CCTV cameras will be installed by the management committee on all entry and exit gates and other places/floors, under the supervision of the local floor,” read the letter.
They have also said that no lodging will be allowed inside the premises and all activities during the reopening will be recorded and the footage will be produced before the station house officer (SHO).
The Centre on Monday told the Delhi High Court, which is hearing Delhi Waqf Board’s petition seeking an easing of restrictions at Markaz Nizamuddin, the city police will consider allowing prayers on three floors of Masjid Bangley Wali on Shab-e-Barat and during the month of Ramadan in case an application is made before the local SHO.
However, the latest police permission is silent about holding prayers during the month of Ramadan. The case is listed for hearing on Wednesday before the bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri. Last year, only 50 people were permitted to hold prayers at the mosque on Shab-e-Barat and the permission was granted on the basis of a court order.
Last week, the Centre told the court that the first floor of the mosque can be opened for prayers by the general public but objected to the use of all the floors for the purpose. However, the court last Friday said if the Union government has no problem with allowing prayers on the mosque’s first floor, it should not have any objection to other floors.
Senior Advocate Sanjoy Ghose, representing the Delhi Waqf Board, on Monday told the court that the application before the police was not made then since Delhi had witnessed a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases and further argued that since April 2021, there has been a total change in the pandemic situation.
Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing the Markaz management, argued that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against them but no chargesheet has been filed to date. “A simple question needs to be asked. Under which provisions have they taken away the keys? Is there any seizure memo? Nothing exists. Simply keys were taken and we were ousted from the premises,” John argued, adding that the residential portion of the premises has been restored on court orders.
John also argued that there should be no discrimination and asked why the “special restriction” exists on the mosque. Ghose argued that the Waqf Board as a statutory body is conscious of its responsibilities and is willing to undertake any conditions which the court may impose. “I am Delhi Waqf Board. No fly-by-night operator or some terrorist or anti-national has come here. Delhi Waqf Board has come here. We are discharging responsible statutory functions,” submitted Ghose on Monday.
Regarding the Centre’s submission that the premises is a case property, Ghose submitted, “They are saying this is a case property. There has been a shootout at Rohini court. Tomorrow they will say shut the Rohini court because it is a property case. What kind of argument is this. The whole place has been videographed and jointly inspected. How can they shut this as case property for two years? I am saying forget the other parts, only allow the religious prayers to be done. It is astounding that the government can oppose a request like this”.
Days after conveying to the court that the mosque can be reopened in accordance with Covid guidelines issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the Centre on March 4 opposed the re-opening of the entire premises and said only a few police-verified people may be permitted to offer prayers. DDMA last month lifted all the Covid-related restrictions in the national capital.
The Waqf Board in the petition filed through advocate Wajeeh Shafiq in February 2021 submitted that Masjid Bangley Wali, Madarsa Kashif-ul-uloom, and the attached hostel situated at Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin have been locked since March 2020. The Centre told the court the premises have been kept “under lock and key” in view of the fact that the Markaz management is itself under investigation in the case registered in 2020 by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch in connection with violation of Covid guidelines.
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