Foreign national attendees of Tablighi conclave move SC for relief

At least 34 foreign nationals who had attended a religious congregation organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, New Delhi, in mid-March has moved the Supreme

At least 34 foreign nationals who had attended a religious congregation organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, New Delhi, in mid-March has moved the Supreme Court challenging the cancellation of their visas and seeking permission to return to their home countries.

HT Image

The plea which was filed earlier this month will be heard on Friday by a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari.

The Union home ministry (MHA) had, in April, blacklisted more than 900 foreign nationals who had attended the religious event after it came to fore that several of them had contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Their visas were also cancelled by the central government.

According to the government and police estimates, at least 16,500 people had visited Tablighi Jamaat’s headquarters in Nizamuddin between March 13 and 24.

The petitioners submitted that the MHA action of blacklisting them and cancelling their visas was done without any inquiry or notice and, hence, was in violation of settled legal principles.

The petitioners are from various countries such as Indonesia, Jordan, China, Fiji, Sudan, Tanzania, Myanmar, Nepal, Afghanistan, Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, Algeria, the USA, the United Kingdon, South Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and Thailand.