"Do you intend to file a reply at all?" Delhi High Court to Central Government on plea for re-opening Nizamuddin Markaz

The Delhi High Court on Friday took an unfavourable view of the delay by the Central government in filing its response to the Delhi Waqf Board's plea concerning the reopening of Nizamuddin Markaz where the annual Tablighi Jamaat congregation was held last year [Delhi Waqf Board through its Chairman vs. Government of NCT of Delhi].Nizamuddin Markaz mosque could be made operational in view of Ramzan subject to social distancing norms: Centre tells Delhi High Court.Single-judge Justice Mukta Gupta noted that the Centre had not filed any reply on the merits of the petition till date though the plea was filed in February. "Do you intend on filing a reply at all? Earlier you had asked for more time to file an affidavit. The last thing you filed was a status report in regard to opening of Nizamuddin Markaz for the period of Ramzan."Appearing on behalf of the Petitioner, Advocate Rajat Nair requested the Court to grant him some more additional time to file a reply The Court acceded to the request. "Two weeks time granted to the Centre to file a reply. Rejoinder to be filed thereafter. Three weeks time granted for the same to be filed along with an affidavit. List in September," the Court ordered. The matter will be heard next by the Delhi High Court on September 13, 2021..Nizamuddin Markaz had come into limelight after it hosted a Tablighi Jamaat congregation during the early days of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The Waqf Board in its plea raised the grievance that although all religious places outside of containment zones were allowed to be opened in Unlock-1, the mosque remained locked since March last year.The Central government had told the Delhi High Court in April this year that no gathering or congregation can be permitted there on account of the latest COVID-19 guidelines.The High Court had later passed an order allowing fifty people to offer namaaz at the Nizamuddin Markaz mosque five times a day during the ongoing month of Ramzan.Earlier this year in April, the Court had allowed for the partial reopening of a single floor of the Markaz during the month of Ramzan keeping in line with strict COVID-19 protocols. "Situation is getting grim day by day. But since all religious places are open, this also had to be opened," the Court had reasoned after it noted that under the April 10 Notification passed by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), there was no direction to close religious places/places of worship.Even though the Markaz allowed around 50 people to offer prayer during Ramzan, the same was not allowed to be fully operational otherwise.The order was passed in the petition preferred by the Delhi Waqf Board to re-open the Nizamuddin Markaz which came into limelight after it hosted a Tablighi Jamaat congregation during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city in March 2020.It was the Waqf Board's grievance that although all religious places outside of containment zones were allowed to be opened in Unlock-1, the mosque remained locked since March last year.Advocate Rajat Nair appeared for the Central government. While advocate Wajeeh Shafiq appeared for the Delhi Waqf Board..Read order here :