Bengaluru, (Asian independent) About 1,300 members of the Tablighi Jamaat from Karnataka attended a congregation at their centre (markhaz) in New Delhi’s Nizamuddin in March, said state Chief Minister B.S. Yediyyurappa on Wednesday.
“Of the 1,300 Tablighi attendees, 276 were from Bengaluru and 482 from 29 districts across the state have been identified and quarantined, while efforts are on to trace the remaining 542,” said Chief Minister in a series of tweets in Kannada and English.
Of about 500 of them who were tested for coronavirus so far, only 30 tested positive and the remaining negative.
Though the 6-day congregation was held from March 13-18 in the national capital’s southeast suburb, many Tablighis from the southern state had been to the mosque since March 1 and some returned by March 24 before trains were stopped for the 21-day lockdown since March 25.
“As the remaining 542 Tablighis from our state are reportedly touring in other states across the country for promoting their religious activity, we have alerted them (states) to trace them and their movements,” said Yediyurappa in another tweet.
About 60 foreign Tablighis, including 20 Indonesia and 19 from Kyrgystan who also went to Nizamuddin and came to the state have also been quarantined in Bengaluru, Belagavi and Bidar in the state’s northern region though they tested negative.
“The state police booked the overseas Tablighis for allegedly violating the visa rules by involving in religious activity though they came to India on tourist visa,” asserted Yediyurappa.
The remaining overseas Tablighis are from Bangladesh, Britain, France, Gambia, Kenya and South Africa.
“No need to panic, as our government is taking measures to ensure the pandemic does not spread and the remaining Tablighis are traced, identified and tested for their health and welfare of all,” the chief minister added.