NEW DELHI: Following the reports of graveyard committees in the national capital not allowing the burial of persons, who die of coronavirus, Delhi Wakf Board (DWB) has designated a cemetery for such casualties, situated along Ring Road near Millennium Park.
An order issued by the chief executive officer (CEO) of the board, SM Ali, on Thursday said that the graveyard known as ‘Jadeed Qabrustaan’ along Delhi's Ring Road might be used for the burial of COVID 19 victims.
'One of the major problems faced by the public is to pay last rites for COVID victims. It has been reported that due to the lack of information, the general public is not allowing burial of the COVID-19 victims in graveyards of Delhi, which is unfortunate. In order to facilitate the last rite of coronavirus victims, the office of DWB is pleased to designate one of its graveyards as ‘COVID-19 graveyard,' read the order issued.
Meanwhile, Delhi Minority Commission (DMC) has written to the director and secretary of health department of Delhi government directing not to mention of ‘religious undertones’ in its daily health bulletin on coronavirus cases in the city.
In the letter by chairman Zafarul Islam Khan, read that the health bulletins showing a separate column for people associated with Markaz, headquarters of Islamic preaching group in Nizamuddin area, causing an attack on Muslims.
“Your bulletins of coronavirus victims are showing a separate column ‘Markaz Masjid’. Such thoughtless classification is feeding into the Islamophobia agenda and Hindutva forces…. has been easily turned into a handle to attack Muslims across the country. 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,” the communique said.
So far, more than 400 people who attended religious meetings at Tablighi Jamaat last month have been tested COVID-19 positive. The authorities had shifted about 2300 devout from Markaz to various hospitals and quarantine facilities after the death of two participants of those congregations were reported last month.