EVE OF EID-AL-ADHA Goat markets flout social distancing rules
PATNA: Ahead of Eid-al-Adha, or Bakrid, social distancing norms were ignored as Patna’s biggest goat market, once a Covid-19 hotspot, which witnessed huge crowd over the weekend. The festival will be celebrated on Wednesday.
Locals said there was no police team in the area to enforce Covid-19 norms in the market located in the state capital, and most shoppers were not wearing masks.
Though the imams (religious leaders) of various mosques announced precautions to be taken while celebrating the festival, government guidelines were openly violated in the state capital.
Muslim clerics have been asked to ensure that people don’t gather in groups and celebrate the festival at their homes, according to the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the government.
Islamic religious organisations Imarat Sharia (Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand) and Ameer-e-Shariat have urged Muslims to offer special prayers at homes and avoid public gatherings.
The state government has imposed a ban on large gatherings at holy places till August 6 in light of the second wave of the pandemic.
The Bihar Police urged the general public not to take the law into their own hands while confronting those involved in illegal transportation/slaughtering of cattle.
Police will take strict against those who spread fake news.
Patna district magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh asked the police to be vigilant at all times. Namaz Eidan committee president Mahmood Alam said like the previous year, this year, too, namaz will not be held at Gandhi Maidan.