Maulana Azad National Urdu University VC Firoz Bakht Ahmed, who is also the grandnephew of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to extend the coronavirus lockdown for the entire month of Ramzan till May 24.
"Care should be taken that the lockdown should not be lifted till May 24, the day when Ramzan month ends. If it is lifted on May 3, a time when corona will be ripening to its peak in India, overenthusiastic Muslims (as seen in the case of uncontrollable Tablighi Jamaat followers) will start crowding markets, holding iftar parties and prayer gathering, giving rise to corona clusters by disobeying the prime ministerial instruction," he said in his letter.
Ahmed has also apologised for the acts of violence or misbehaviour allegedly by Muslims against healthcare workers across the country.
"As a law-abiding Indian Muslim, I apologise on behalf of all those belonging to my community in quarantine in India, indulging in violence against doctors, nurses, health workers, police, safai karamcharis etc," he wrote.
"My head is hung in shame whenever I see highly condemned acts of spitting, misbehaving in vulgar manner with the hospital staff (especially nurses), running for the jugular of doctors, throwing urine bottles and not extending cooperation for treatment for coronavirus," Ahmed said.
The country is in a lockdown since March 25 due to the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown has now been extended till May 3.