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New Delhi: The Supreme Court India on Monday, 13 April 2020 refused to restrain the media from reporting about the Tablighi Jamaat gathering at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi and the allegation that it had become a major cause behind the spread of Covid-19 in different parts of the country.

The Apex Court, upon hearing the counsel for the petitioner, ordered the listing of the matter after two weeks. In the meantime, the petitioners have been directed to implead the Press Council of India “as party respondent in the array of parties.”

Hearing the matter through video conferencing, a three Judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and comprising of Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar, told the counsel for Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind,: “We will not gag the press”. The petitioner has alleged that a section of media has “demonised the entire Muslim community” and that this is serious “threat to life and liberty of Muslims”.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, through a petition, filed by senior advocate Ejaz Maqbool, has moved the Supreme Court alleging that the media has communalised the Nizamuddin Markaz congregation in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak.

The petition says:

Through their petition, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind have urged the Supreme Court to issue a writ, order or direction to the Central Government to stop the dissemination of “fake news and take strict action against the sections of the media spreading bigotry and communal hatred in relation to the Nizamuddin Markaz issue; and also issue order or direction to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to identify and take strict action against sections of the media that are communalising the Nizamuddin Markaz issue