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HP Police book 42 Tablighi Jamaat workers
After three members of Tablighi Jamaat were tested positive in Una, the administration did not relax the curfew for the second day on Saturday.
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Himachal Pradesh Police have booked 42 workers of Tablighi Jamaat,while 257 with a travel history to Delhi’s Nizamuddin mosque, the hot spot for coronavirus infection, have been quarantined.
As many as the 73 persons had been quarantined in Baddi, 20 in Chamba, 40 in Kangra, 23 Shimla , four in Mandi, 59 in Sirmaur and 39 in Una district, where three members of Tablighi Jamaat had been tested positive for coronavirus . All have now been isolated at the government-run Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College Tanda in Kangra distrct .
After three members of Tablighi Jamaat were tested positive in Una, the administration did not relax the curfew for the second day on Saturday. Police have filed 15 FIRs and booked 42 Tablighi Jamaat workers under Section 180 and 254 of the Indian Penal code (IPC). Maximum FIR against them have been filed in Una, while 11 members of the Jamaat were booked in Shimla.
All eleven members have been quarantined in Government Degree College Nerwa. Four cases were registered against Jamaat members in Mandi district. Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday convened a high-level meeting with the officials of administration, police and intelligence agencies. The government has already directed the civil administration and police officials to hold meetings with the religious leaders and urge them to help police in identifying the members of the Jamaat. Local administration has also sought help from State Waqf Board members to trace and quarantine the Tablighis.
Chief minister also directed the officers to keep strict surveillance on persons of Nizamuddin’s Tablighi Jamaat. He said that focus should be that persons with any travel history are identified at the earliest to contain the virus spread. He said that they should be kept in home quarantine or isolation.
State BJP president Rajiv Bindal castigated Congress chief Kuldeep Rathore for flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his call to light candles and flashlights for nine minutes on Sunday . “On the one hand the government was battling to contain Covid-19 spread, on other the congress leaders instead of lauding efforts of the government were criticising it” said Bindal in a statement issued here on Saturday. Bindal described Tablighi members as human bombs.
