Call on deporting blacklisted Tablighis likely next week: Decision on those with FIRs awaited

New Delhi, Apr 19: The Ministry of Home Affairs will in the next few days take a call on how to evacuate the 854 foreigners who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin last month.

These persons have been blacklisted from entering India after they took part in religious activity on a tourist visa. MHA sources tell OneIndia that those who finish their quarantine will be handed over to their respective embassies for deportation. However we are yet to take a call on what to do with those persons who have been named in FIRs. These persons have been charged under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Foreigners Act and the Disaster Management Act.

The headquarters of the Tablighi in Delhi had emerged as the biggest coronavirus hotspots in the country. Following the congregation many of them travelled to different parts of the country and the spread of the virus peaked due to this. Delhi and Tamil Nadu were the hardest hit due to this.

The Tablighi members have caused an immense headache to the security agencies and the medical staff of the country. The first big task was to evacuate the Jamaat headquarters, where there were around 2,300 people. It was at this time that the agencies learnt that several foreigners had gone missing and it was later found that most of them were staying in different Mosques across the city.

The police drew out a list of around 16 Mosques and sought the help of the Delhi government in locating these persons. The Delhi Police learnt that there were around 180 foreigners who had shifted to the different Mosques in the city. Apart from searching the Mosques, the police also managed to locate with the help of the local officials 600 foreigners linked to the Jamaat.

The police drew out a list of around 16 Mosques and sought the help of the Delhi government in locating these persons. The Delhi Police learnt that there were around 180 foreigners who had shifted to the different Mosques in the city. Apart from searching the Mosques, the police also managed to locate with the help of the local officials 600 foreigners linked to the Jamaat.

The members of the Tablighi have however not only been a headache for India. In Malaysia there was a gathering of the Jamaat in February and at least 600 cases are linked to it. In Pakistan, there was a congregation of the Jamaat in March. Nearly 2.50 lakh people attended the congregation. The coronavirus infections thanks to this congregation has been linked to cases in Palestine, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan too.