A BJP legislator in Karnataka on Tuesday, 8 April, alleged that some of the attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi have been “purposely evading” testing for coronavirus despite appeals, and said such it was “not wrong” to shoot such people.
Accusing them of indirectly indulging in an act of terrorism, MLA MP Renukacharya, who is also a political secretary to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, however said, it was wrong to blame the whole community for the misdeeds of a few.
The Tablighi Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month has turned out to be the hotbed of COVID-19 spread in the country.
“... one thing is true, some of those who had been to the congregation at Nizamuddin, despite appeal made by the PM and CM, are purposely trying to evade citing religious reasons,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Davangere, the BJP MLA said it looks like while dying they want to kill others also. “If those who had returned after attending the Jamaat had gone to the doctor there wouldn’t have been any problem,” Renukacharya said.
Charging some of the attendees with indulging in “anti- national” deeds, he said it was not wrong to say that those spreading the virus are indirectly indulging in terrorism.
Further calling those purposely spreading coronavirus on religious grounds as “traitors,” Renukacharya said, “those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation and have not come out for treatment and escaped, government should not protect them. It is not wrong to shoot them with a bullet.”
“Because of some people, everyone, whole country will have to suffer... at least now they have to cooperate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa during an interview to a news channel on Monday had warned of action against those blaming the entire Muslim community for isolated incidents.
BJP state General Secretary Arvind Limbavali, questioning the intentions of attendees of Tablighi Jamaat congregation who have not come out for medical consultations, urged the government take strict action against them. “Enough time has been given, those who have not come out arrest them in 24 hours. They are the ones who are cause of spreading. There is no question of any religion in this, this is a matter of health of the society and state,” he said.
The government said so far samples have been collected from 920 people who attended the congregation. 623 are negative, 27 positive, remaining results are still awaited. The government is yet to share the total number of people from the state who had attended the congregation.
(The article has been published in arrangement with PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)