By Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Nearly 1,500 persons are still stuck in Tablighi Jamaat’s international headquarters (Banglewali mosque) in southwest Delhi, including around 250 foreigners, because of grounding the all international and domestic flights as well as rail and road transport after the announcement of lockdown in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It is reported in the media that around 200 persons from the headquarters were admitted in various hospitals in Delhi as a precautionary measure. Out of these 200, six of those admitted in Lok Nayak Jaiprakash hospital had returned a coronavirus positive report.
It is said all six positive for covid-19 were quarantined in Jhajhar , town of Haryana.
Dr Mohammad Shoaib, spokesperson for the Tabligh Jamaat, however refuted the claims saying that they do not have any confirmed cases until now.
Dr Shoaib also said he had provided a list of names to the administration, featuring anyone who had a health issue, including cold and fever.
Before the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced from March 24 midnight, there were thousands of persons present there, he said.
@ANI
Y’day, we provided a list of names to Administration, who had any health issue, including cold&fever. Some of them have been admitted in hospital on basis of age/travel history.We don’t have any confirmed #COVID19 case till now:
The headquarters located in the thickly populated area, had visitors on 10 March from Tamil Nadu in large for Joint consultative meeting ( Jode ijtma) besides regular Jamaat persons.
Despite, Dr Shoaib’s claims, the Delhi Police have cordoned off the entire area by putting barricades, and are monitoring the movement of the people using drones.
A senior police officer said: “We cannot allow any person from that area to come out, as they may infect others. They have been quarantined.”
The officer added: “We are making constant announcements asking people to remain indoors, carrying out patrolling and are monitoring the movement through drones. The people have been told that they will face legal action if they violate the orders.”
As per information available with IANS, foreign nationals stuck at the HQ could include as many as 200 from Indonesia, 30 from Thailand, 10-15 from Kyrgyzstan, and Malaysia.
It is suspected that local residents may have been exposed to the deadly novel coronavirus at that time.
Two men who were present at that gathering tested positive, while one visitor, a religious preacher, died last week in Srinagar. Before coming to Delhi, the preacher had also visited the Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh.
‘There are approximately 2000 people always present in the Markaz, due to announcement of Janta Curfew many of them left for their home but at the same time many came there from across the country and stuck here in lockdown. We updated the SHO Nizamuddin about our problem and requested him to provide transportation for those stuck in the centre. We even gave the complete list of such people, said Maulana Saad the head of Jamat in an audio message.
