Eid-ul-Adha 2020: COVID-19 mars Bakrid celebrations, here are guidelines for various states

As Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic on August 1, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued guidelines to ensure social distancing on the occasion. 

Muslims in the BJP-ruled state will have to offer prayers and celebrate the upcoming Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha) festival at their homes, as per the state government guidelines. 

Muslim clerics have been asked to ensure that people don`t collect in groups, but celebrate the festival at their homes, according to the guidelines issued in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Yogi Adityanath government has directed police officials in all districts to remain on the vigil and take note of even the smallest incident in their respective areas.

Transportation of meat and animal slaughter in the open have been banned.

Earlier, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband had written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, requesting him to allow sacrifice of animals and people to offer namaz in Idgahs on Eid-al-Adha.

In a letter to Yogi, acting Mohtamim Maulana Abdul Khalik Madrasi had said on Monday Bakri Eid is nearing and there is no alternative to sacrifice in Islam. He pointed out the hurdles and uncertainty in the way of preparations for the festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He demanded that as the festival could fall on a Saturday, the state government should consider shifting of the weekend lockdown to Tuesday and Wednesday, instead of Saturday and Sunday.

Madrasi had also demanded that permission should be given for holding namaz in Idgahs while following social distancing norms.

Eid-ul- Adha (Bakrid) prayers will not be held at the historic Mecca Masjid in view of the Covid-19 pandemic on August 1. Maulana Hafeez Mohd Rizwan Qureshi, khateem, Mecca Masjid said the general public is not being allowed in the Mecca Masjid even after the relaxation of the lockdown

As per Maharashtra government guidelines, people have been asked to offer prayers at home and purchase sacrificial animals online or over the phone. People have been asked to offer namaz at home instead of mosques and also purchase sacrificial animals online or over the phone.

The guidelines also called for the symbolic celebration of Bakri Eid, also known as Eid al-Adha. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government in the state has also urged that "qurbani" or ritual animal sacrifice preferably be done symbolically, considering the lockdown norms and containment zone restrictions.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Asim Azmi on Wednesday said that his party will hold a protest in Mumbai against the guidelines by the state government on regulations for transporting of animals for the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival.

The SP leader, whose party is in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi said that the authorities were not permitting vehicles carrying the sacrificial animals from other states to enter into Maharashtra."People have ordered animals online for Eid al-Adha after getting permission from the government. The cost of transportation of a single animal is high, so people started ordering together and the tempos have been transporting several animals at a time. However, these vehicles are being halted at the border and prevented from entering the State. We will protest against it. I request you all to join the protest and make this big," Azmi tweeted.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that the lockdown in the containment zones of the state will continue till August 31 as also the biweekly restrictions in place to check the spread of the coronavirus disease.

"The biweekly lockdown will be implemented mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. But since festivals like Eid as also Independence Day are happening on Saturdays, lockdown will be enforced on some other day," she said.