960 foreigners on tourist visa blacklisted for attending Tablighi Jamaat; 647 from the congregation test positive for COVID-19 in last two days

As many as 960 foreign nationals, who were blacklisted, were from Indonesia (379), Bangladesh (110), Kyrgyzstan (77), Myanmar (63) and Thailand (65). Several Jamaatis came to attend the congregation from as far as Djibouti in East Africa and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Islands in North America, have also been banned, the HT report added.

In a statement on Thursday night, the Home Ministry said that 960 foreigners had been blacklisted for flouting tourist visa norms and taking part in activities of Tablighi Jamaat.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry in a statement confirmed that the 647 coronavirus cases reported in the last two days emanated from the Tablighi Jamaat. The infected Jamaatis had travelled to their native states after the congregation and are present in the 14 states across India.

How Tablighi Jamaat turned Delhi's Nizamuddin into a COVID-19 hotspot

At a time the idea of social distancing was embraced both by the Centre and the state governments, Tablighi Jamaat, an "orthodox" missionary, congregated around 3,000 people at Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid in Nizamuddin here flouting all norms of self-isolation.

Reports suggest around 2000-3000 preachers had congregated at the event of Tablighi Jamaat preachers in mid-March, just days after the Delhi government had banned the gatherings of 200 people at any place in the wake of the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus.

That the congregation had happened, came to light after a man died and 10 more tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the event in mid-March.

Delhi Police could evacuate the remaining 216 Tablighi Jamaat workers and hospitalise them after the intervention of National Security Advisor(NSA) Ajit Doval as the head of Nizamuddin Markaz Maulana Saad had refused the entry of Delhi Police in the mosque.

At least 182 of the 293 coronavirus cases in Delhi were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, the Delhi government informed on Thursday.

Adityanath decides to dicipline the unruly Jmaatis

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed the state police to lodge a case under National Security Act against the Tablighi Jamaat members for misbehaving with hospital staff in Ghaziabad.

According to reports, some attendees of the Jamaat kept in an isolation ward in Ghaziabad-based MMG Government Hospital spat on the security personnel and the health workers, sang obscene songs, roamed semi-nude, demanded tobacco and cigarettes, apart from non-cooperation in treatment.

According to official sources in Lucknow, the CM was furious at the Jamaatis for their misconduct in Ghaziabad and other places.

"These people will not follow the law nor the system. Their act in Ghaziabad was deplorable and the government would register cases under National Security Act against them. We will not spare them at any cost," the CM said.

Adityanath also asked the authorities not to deploy women doctors, nurses or police for treatment of the Jamaat people at the hospital.

He said an Indore-like incident will not be allowed to be repeated. A health department team was pelted with stones when it went to trace the COVID-19 patients at Indore's Tat Patti Bakhal area, media had reported.