'Was this the Nizamuddin congregation?': Hansal Mehta questions BJP govt amid COVID-19

The National Award-winning director Hansal Mehta on Tuesday took a jibe at the BJP government amid the coronavirus outbreak. Taking to the microblogging site Mehta shared images of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with a huge crowd on the day Congress leader Kamal Nath resigned as CM and an image of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attending an event and compared it to the Nizamuddin congregation. 

Notably, both incidents occurred before the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The images show that there was no social distancing or precautions followed by both the leaders and hence was criticised by Mehta.

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What is the Nizamuddin COVID-19 scare?

On Monday, sources reported that a religious programme was organised at Tablighi Jamaat's headquarters Markaz Nizamuddin mosque between March 13-15 which had over 300 foreign attendees from Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan. After attending the meeting, prior to the nationwide lockdown, all these attendees returned to several parts of the country, possibly spreading the COVID-19 virus.

On Sunday, around 50-70 people, who were hiding in a mosque, were taken to LNJP hospital as they were all COVID-19 suspects – 24 have tested positive. The mosque has claimed that while they were letting small groups of attendees leave from the venue prior to the Janta Curfew, several were stuck in the area – which has now been entirely quarantined – owing to the nationwide lockdown.

READ | Big Surge In COVID-19 Cases In Maharashtra: Tally Swells To 302; 82 Reported On March 31

According to sources, Karnataka has traced 64 attendees have been quarantined, Tamil Nadu has traced 981 of 1,500 attendees – 16 have tested positive, Assam had 100 attendees – most of them still in Delhi, Telangana has confirmed 1,300 attendees with 6 deaths – all attendees, contact tracing ongoing. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh has traced 626 of the 711 attendees (8 have tested positive), Andaman has reported 10 positive cases – 9 of which were attendees, UP has traced 157 attendees, Jammu & Kashmir has identified 6 attendees. Currently, India's total COVID-19 cases stand at 1,397
 with 35 deaths.

READ | COVID-19: MHA Reveals '2137 Markaz Attendees Quarantined Across India'; 1746 In Nizamuddin

READ | Yogi Adityanath Condemns Bareilly Disinfection Video, Orders Action Against Officials