Nizamuddin Markaz head Maulana Saad agreed to vacate building after NSA Ajit Doval paid a visit at 2 AM: Sources

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to meet Maulana Saad, head of Nizamuddin Markaz, and convince him to vacate the Banglewali Masjid in New Delhi after repeated pleas by Delhi Police and other security agencies failed to impress Maulana Saad, who is also the head of Tablighi Jamaat.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials told Zee News that Doval reached Nizamuddin Markaz at around 2.00 am on March 28-29 night to meet Maulana Saad and convinced him to get the people present inside the building tested for coronavirus COVID-19 infection and be quarantined. Sources said that Maulana Saad agreed to vacate the mosque after meeting NSA Doval.

The Union Home Minister swung into actoon after the security agencies found that nine Indonesians who tested positive at Karimnagar, in Telangana, on March 18 had visited Nizamuddin Markaz to attend a religious congregation.

In a related development, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday that Tablighi Jamaat's Markaz has been cleared after the evacuation of 2,361 people in the past 36 hours. Sisodia tweeted that out of the 2,361 people, 617 have been admitted to hospitals while the rest have been placed in quarantine.

On Tuesday (March 31), Crime Branch of Delhi Police lodged an FIR against Maulana Saad and others of Tablighi Jamaat for violation of government order issued in the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The case was filed under three sections of Epidemic Disease Act 1897- Section 269, 270, 271, and 120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violation of directions given to the management of Markaz of Basti Nizamuddin. 

The order was issued for restriction of social/political/religious gathering and for taking safety measures, including social distancing for prevention and treatment of coronavirus COVID-19 infection.