"Inaction of Delhi Govt led to spread of COVID-19", Plea in SC seeks CBI probe into Anand Vihar migrant gathering, Nizamuddin Markaz issue

A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the “inaction of Government of Delhi” in containing the spread of COVID-19.The plea also seeks a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the “assembly of people” at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal and at the Markaz in Nizamuddin..The plea by Advocate Supriya Pandita, filed through Advocate-on-Record Om Prakash Parihar and Advocate Dushyant Tiwari, urges the Court to ask the Union government and the Delhi government to show what steps have been taken to contain the spread of the pandemic in Delhi..The PIL challenges the inaction of the Delhi government “in failing to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the capital” and states that it is due to the negligence of the government that “coronavirus has spread to the rest of the country which is antithesis to Article 21 of the Constitution”.The petition seeks a CBI probe into the “assembly of people” at Anand Vihar bus terminal and the Markaz in Nizamuddin. It alleges that the Centre and the Delhi government had failed to contain the spread of the pandemic as “cases have increased after assembly of people at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal and Markaz in Nizamuddin.”."On the fourth day of the lockdown, tens of thousands of Migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, who were working in Delhi assembled outside the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal, Delhi elbowing each other to board the first available bus that would take them to their hometown or village, these workers were never stopped by the Commissioner of Delhi Police and no action was taken by the Delhi Government and Delhi transport department in order to stop these workers from coming out of their house."Plea filed in Supreme Court.As per the petitioner, the government stated that they “have arranged DTC buses to drop them at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal, despite knowing that the buses are not allowed on roads and movement of people is restricted as per the notification issued by the govt of Delhi itself.”.While calling for a CBI probe into the gathering of people at the bus terminal, the plea cites a news report quoting BJP leader Kapil Mishra as saying,“government of NCT of Delhi had made announcements in colonies of migrant workers saying that DTC buses would take them to Anand Vihar ISBT terminal and that the govt of Delhi, as per reports, had cut off the electricity and water for the migrant workers asking them to reach UP border where buses would take them home.”.Further,“On March 29, the migrant workers got collected at the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal for the purpose of going back to their respective homes, which clearly shows that the government has failed to control the people from coming out from their respective houses which lead to create overcrowding at the bus station and UP-Delhi border.”However, the petitioner maintains that the “source of averments made in the petition is personal knowledge and information collected through various sources including newspapers and websites”..The petitioner, while laying down the scenario of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nizamuddin, stated that “all social distancing rules were ignored as hundreds stayed together in the 100 year old mosque complex.”The novel Coronavirus outbreak was detected on March 30 in Delhi after over 24 people who attended the Markaz in Nizamuddin tested positive for COVID-19. More than 2,000 delegates from Malaysia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and other countries took part in the congregation..On April 6, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had moved the Supreme Court claiming that the media has communalised the Nizamuddin Markaz event, where about 2,500 individuals congregated in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak..Breaking: Petition filed in Supreme Court seeking action against media for communalizing Nizamuddin Markaz issue .This plea, filed by Advocate Ejaz Maqbool, stated that reports on the Tablighi Jamaat by certain sections of print and electronic media has "demonised the entire Muslim community."The Supreme Court is slated to hear this on April 13.