Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – The alleged cases of COVID-19 infection and deaths purported to have connection with a religious congregation at its headquarters brought the Tablighi Jamaat under scanner. The Delhi Police is said to have filed a FIR against the organisers of the religious gathering, including the chief of the Jamaat, Moulana Saad.
Earlier, the Central government had decided not to issue visa to the Tablighi preachers.
The organisers of the congregations are accused of violating government’s guidelines issued in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. But the Tablighi Jamaat vehemently deny the allegation. They claim that the administration was kept in the loop about the event.
However, the government launched a crackdown on the Jamaat even as news channels ran a vilification campaign against the religious group without taking into consideration the facts behind the controversy.
It’s true that the Tablighi congregations were held at its Nizamuddin markaz (HQ) Banglewali Masjid between March 8 and 10 and March 13 and 15. But, whether these violated any law is a matter of investigation. But the mainstream media seems to be in no mood to wait for the probe. It started running a veritable media trial of the accused.
The fact remains that at a time when the Tablighi Jamaat was holding these gatherings, many religious and political gatherings were going on in the country unhindered. What’s more, many gatherings are still taking place under nationwide lockdown, but no eyebrows are raised. Why is the jamaat singled out for censure is a question on every mind.
The decision for a nationwide lockdown came much later. No guidelines were issued by the Centre or the state when the gatherings were on. On 13 March, the Ministry of Health had issued a statement denying health emergency in the wake of the outbreak.
On March 14, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha chief Swami Chakrapani Maharaj had hosted a gaumutra (cow urine) party to exorcise the ghosts of coronavirus at Delhi’s Mandir Marg. The visitors at the party were served panchagavya, a ritual mixture of cow dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee. A Reuters report had put the turnout at the event at 200. But no action was taken against the organisers of the party.
What’s more, on March 16, a Kalkaji temple performed an aarti for Navratri festival in the presence of a large gathering which had violated a state government order prohibiting gathering by more than 50 people.
This video was uploaded by ABP News on 16th March.
This is from Kalkaji Temple. You can see people gathered there and performed Aarti.
Isn’t this gathering against rule?
Full video: https://t.co/TtShLdUXQC#NizamuddinMarkaz
#मीडिया_वायरस pic.twitter.com/ij9ydH8m7x— Md Asif Khan آصِف (@imMAK02) March 31, 2020
All this while, Parliament was in session and its proceedings went on unabated.
Some parliamentarians even attended a party in which Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who was tested positive for COVID-19, showed up. On 18 March, Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice-President Venkiah Naidu admonished the MPs for wearing masks in the House.
This happened inside Rajya Sabha on 18th March.
Venkaiah Naidu asked parliamentarians to remove face masks or leave house.
Vice President of India is not serious about #CoronavirusPandemic ?? #NizamuddinMarkaz event was held before Parliament proceedings.#TablighiJamat pic.twitter.com/NUqui8Bb4e
— Md Asif Khan آصِف (@imMAK02) March 31, 2020
On March 20, then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath held a press conference to announce his resignation after 20 legislators defected the Congress along with prominent party Jayatirao Scindia. One of the journalists who attended the presser in Bhopal was tested positive for corona.
After Kamal Nath’s resignation, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and party workers gathered in huge numbers at the party office in Bhopal to celebrate their return to power in the state. Yet no questions were raised over the infection risk.
The BJP’s political jamboree and Kamal Nath’s press conference passed off without raising any question even through both the events were held well after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation where he made an appeal to the citizens to adopt social distancing policy as a measure to ward off the virus.
On March 22, a day long janata curfew was observed. In the evening, large processions were led by Karnataka governor and Pilibhit DM clapping, ringing bells and clanging plates and blowing conches as a mark of respect to the medical and other professionals working on the ground to deal with the coronavirus threat.
These abrupt gatherings though were in the violation of government’s guidelines, did not evoke the kind of censure that they deserved.
On March 24, PM Modi announced the nationwide lockdown. A day after the announcement, on March 25, Uttar Pradesh Chief Ninister Yogi Adityanath held a religious function to shift idol of Lord Rama from a makeshift in Ayodhya. The event too drew a large gathering. But nobody questioned the chief minister for holding the function when the entire country was under lockdown.
By the time the Delhi government announced a ban on gatherings by more than 50 people, on March 16, the Tablighi gatherings had drawn to a conclusion. Hence, there is no question of violation of any official guidelines.
