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The Union Home Ministry on Monday, told the Parliament that the Tablighi Jamaat meeting that was held in March in its headquarters Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, when the sudden Covid-19 lockdown was announced, had resulted in the Coronavirus infection spreading to “many persons”. The Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy told the Rajya Sabha that Delhi Police had arrested “233 Tablighi Jamaat members and 2,361 people have been evacuated from the organisation’s headquarters since March 29”. He also told the Parliament in a written reply that, “However, regarding Jamaat Chief Maulana Mohd Saad, the investigation is underway”. Saad has not yet been arrested by Delhi Police, months after they arrested and detained many others, including foreign nationals, in connection with the allegations of violating Covid-19 protocols and other charges.
“As reported by Delhi Police, despite guidelines/orders issued by various authorities in pursuance of the outbreak of COVID-19 a huge gathering assembled inside a closed premise; over a protracted period of time, without any semblance of social distancing or provision of masks and sanitizers. This also caused spread of Corona Virus infection amongst many persons (sic),” Minister of State (Home Affairs) G Kishan Reddy told the Rajya Sabha. This was his written response to a question on whether the gathering was a “major reason” for the spread of coronavirus in Delhi and other states, reported NDTV.
The Home Ministry was responding to a question from Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai who asked the ministry to specify whether the spread of coronavirus in Delhi and other states was due to the assembly of people for the gathering. The Sena MP also sought details of the number of people who attended the gathering and the number of people arrested so far, stated the news report.
Reddy’s remarks have once again refreshed memories of how a literal hate campaign was launched against the TJ members who had found themselves stranded in Delhi when all transport had been shut down after the sudden lockdown was imposed in the last week of March 2020. The resulting villification of TJ members, resulted in attacks and targeting of the Muslim community at large for months that followed. Many social media influencers and most news coverage related to the Covid-19 pandemic was then sensationalised and concentrated on the Tablighi Jamaat’s Congregation held from March 11-13 in Delhi. The Delhi government had called it a ‘Covid-19 hotspot’. The communalisation of the pandemic continued for months.
The Minister’s remarks come just days after four Tablighi Jamaat members were assaulted on September 16 in Maharashtra’s Beed district. Suhail Tamboli, Aslam Ather, Sayyed Layak and Nizamuddin Qazi, were travelling to Ambajogai village from Dharur when a group of six people allegedly attacked the travellers and their already broken-down car in Hol village. Tamboli who was beaten unconscious, said that the assailants intended to kill him and his friends, they were ruthlessly beaten and verbally abused for 40 minutes late in the night. The article may be read here. Though not Covid-19 related, this attack too is communal in nature, state news reports. Between biased ‘news’ reporting, and whatsaap forwards, the Muslim community continues to find itself as a soft target of Right Wing attacks.
The Supreme Court had on May 27, asked the Centre to submit a response in three combined petitions which seek strict action against the media for communalisation of the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi. The three petitioners were Jamiat-ulema-I-Hind, DJ Halli Federation of Masjid Madaaris and Wakf Institute. Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had called out the blatant communalisation of the pandemic, and sent written complaints to news channels like India TV and India Today which had made false claims relating to Tablighi Jamaat and its connection with Covid-19, as well as for sensationalising and communalising news reportage of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, as of September 21, the country has recorded over 86,961 new Covid-19 cases, and 1130 deaths. There are over 10,03,299 active coronavirus cases in India at the moment. According to news reports the current Parliament session is also likely to conclude soon.
The Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, meanwhile has continued to give #CoronaVirusUpdates with the rates of “recovery” as his focus. It shared information such as “12 States and UTs have registered Recovery Rate more than the national average” and that “India tops the global figure of total recoveries”.
?12 States and UTs have registered Recovery Rate more than the national average
?79% of the new recovered cases are from 10 states/UTs.
?India tops the global figure of total recoveries. @MoHFW_INDIA #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/c5od5abkdA
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) September 21, 2020
According to the official government statement, “India’s Recovery Rate crosses the landmark of 80%”
12 States and UTs have registered Recovery Rate more than the national average.
However, it remains a fact that 86,961 new cases, and 1130 deaths, have been reported in the past 24 hours. No connection between those cases, and the Tablighi Jamaat event held in March, have been reported so far.
Related:
Tablighi Jamaat members attacked in Beed
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Don’t let people instigate law and order issues: SC on communalisation of Covid-19
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