Delhi Minorities Commission asks Health Dept to drop 'Markaz' column from COVID-19 charts

The Delhi Minorities Commission has asked the Health Department to drop any mention of Tablighi Jamaat congregation which took place last month in its daily bulletins on COVID-19 cases in Delhi.

In a letter to the Director/Secretary, Delhi Health Department, DMC Chairman Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan said, "Your bulletins of Coronavirus victims are showing a separate column 'Markaz Masjid'. Such thoughtless classification is feeding into the Islamophobia agenda of the lap media and Hindutva forces and has been easily turned into a handle to attack Muslims across the country."

'Calls are being made for their social boycott'

The DMC letter further read: "As a result, Muslims are being attacked in various areas, calls are being made for their social boycott, one boy has been lynched in the North-West Delhi village of Harewali, others attacked."

"World Health Organisation has taken cognizance of this phenomenon, unique to India. WHO Emergency Programme Director Mike Ryan said on April 6, 'Countries should not profile novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in terms of religion or any other criteria," the letter said.

The Union Health Ministry, too, has said that despite all precautions, if anybody catches the infection, it is not their fault. Its advisory has requested citizens to "never spread names or identity" of those affected or under quarantine in their locality on the social media, Khan said in the letter. 

Number of positive cases in Delhi breach 700 mark

With 51 more COVID-19 positive cases on Thursday, the total number of positive cases in the national capital has risen to 720. Out of the total 720 cases, 430 cases are from the Tablighi Jamaat congregation that took place in Nizamuddin Markaz last month.

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More than 25,500 Tablighi members and their contacts have been quarantined in the country after the Centre and the state governments conducted a “mega operation” to identify them. At least 9,000 people participated in the religious congregation in Nizamuddin. Later, many of the attendees travelled to various parts of the country.

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The Delhi government has made wearing face-mask compulsory in the city. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Wednesday said that 20 hotspots have been identified in Delhi in the battle to contain Coronavirus. However, the authorities also added Bengali Market in the list of the hotspot on Thursday.

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Meanwhile, India's total COVID-19 cases rose to 5,865 on Thursday, with 591 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Out of the 5,734 cases; 5,218 are active COVID-19 cases, and 477 patients have been recovered or discharged.

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(With agency inputs)