Kejriwal criticises those giving ‘communal colour’ to Tablighi incident

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he would visit a few containment zones on Wednesday to understand the ground situation and hit out against those

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he would visit a few containment zones on Wednesday to understand the ground situation and hit out against those who sought to communalise the Tablighi Jamaat incident.

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With eight new pockets and localities added to the list, Delhi now has 55 containment zones, which are areas that are under strict surveillance to ensure complete quarantine. Movement of people inside these zones is severely restricted and there will be door-to-door health checks and periodic disinfection.

“Any place with three or more cases have been marked as containment zones in Delhi. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has been monitoring the situation. I will visit a few of them tomorrow for a review of the situation from the perspective of the residents,” said the chief minister in a video conference. He said that a team of around 14,000 people are conducting door-to-door health checks, enforcing surveillance and delivering essentials.

Kejriwal said, “Delhi also has the burden of those who came from abroad. Of all the states, Delhi received the maximum people who returned from other countries. Another reason was the Tablighi Jamaat.”

Tablighi jamaat

Kejriwal said it was a matter of concern that certain people were communalising the pandemic.

He said, “It saddens me that in the time of the pandemic, there are still people who are trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. I observe on social media that even in times when the whole world is in distress, people are trying to create a rift between the two communities, by posting hate videos and content. We can only move ahead and overcome obstacles if we stand united.

“All the anti-social elements who are sowing seeds of hatred in the minds and hearts of the people are not only working against nature but also against our nation. Our country can only progress if all the religions, caste, and states work together and stand united. That is the only way that we can fight against the pandemic,” he said.

On Monday, the city government started a sanitisation programme in which it engaged 10 Japanese hi-tech machines and jet machines of the Delhi Jal Board to spray disinfectants in containment zones, buffer areas and high-risk areas. On Tuesday, Kejriwal said that the sanitation drive will continue for the extended period.

Food centres mapped

The around 1,000 night shelters and food distribution centres of the Delhi government can be located on digital maps. The Delhi government has tied up with Google and Map My India to help direct people to these centres. “As we prepare for an extended lockdown, we are proud to work together with Google Maps India in ensuring easy accessibility of all our food and night shelters. We are committed to doing everything possible to make life easy for those most affected by the lockdown,” said Kejriwal.