New Delhi, Apr 15 (IANS): Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Mohammad Saad Kandhalvi is increasingly coming under fire from within the Muslim community for the Nizamuddin Markaz fiasco, particularly those who have been infected by coronavirus.

One such person, businessman Tabrez Khan, alleged that the Tablighi leader's conduct in the Markaz episode and thereafter was "careless" and brought a bad name to the Muslims in India.

Tabrez was admitted in the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital after he tested positive for coronavirus. His mother, sister and two relatives too tested positive, though all of them are now cured.

"Had Maulana Saad directed all Tablighi followers to come forward to get tested for coronavirus and seek help from health and police authorities, they won't have gone into hiding. Then, there was no need for the police and other authorities to visit mosques to look for the missing Jamaatis," Tabrez remarked.

He held the Maulana responsible for the infamy earned by the Muslims amid the coronavirus pandemic, as also for the anger among a section of Indians towards the community.

Tabrez pointed out that Maulana Saad was the community's influential leader on whose call the Muslims would have taken up mass sanitation or fed the poor, but he preferred to not do so.

"The Maulana should have come forward to appeal to his followers to cooperate with the authorities and to quarantine in case of suspected coronavirus symptoms," he said.

Tabrez said that at a time when the government machinery was busy fighting coronavirus, a large number of civil and police officials were busy tracing Tablighi meeting attendees, taking them to hospitals for testing, and quarantining them.

He said the situation became acute as the Maulana did not step forward to take positive action to save the lives of his followers.