UP identifies 1203 Attendees of Tablighi Jamaat; 897 tested for COVID-19

The Uttar Pradesh government has identified at least 1203 attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz of which 296 are foreigners. Of these, 897 people have been tested for the infection which includes the foreigners. The passports of 228 people have been seized and 35 FIRS in 15 districts under the Disaster Management Act and similar other laws have been filed.

"1203 people have been identified so far and put under quarantine who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi. 47 people have tested COVID-19 positive," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in a press conference on Friday.

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The State government on Friday also directed that no women health workers and female police officers will be deployed in service of quarantined Tablighi Jamaat members. This comes after CM Yogi Adityanath lashed out at the attendees and members of Tablighi Jammat for misbehaving and mistreating the women medical staff at a hospital in Ghaziabad.

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What is the Nizamuddin COVID-19 scare?

A religious program was organized at Tablighi Jamaat's headquarters Markaz Nizamuddin mosque between 13-15 March which was attended by over three thousand people, from India and abroad, who since dispersed. After attending the event, which took place prior to the nationwide lockdown, many of the attendees returned to other parts of the country.

A case was registered by the Delhi Police against Maulana Saad and other attendees of the congregation by Tablighi Jamaat for violating the restriction pertaining to religious gatherings. Sections under the Epidemic Disease Act,1897 and Section 269, 270, 271 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked. In the FIR, it has been stated that the congregation failed to take safety measures for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

(PTI Photo)

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