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Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad finally replies to Delhi police issue

Admitting that the crime branch of Delhi Police has issued a notice to him along with a questionnaire, Nizamuddin’s Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Mohd. Saad Kandhalvion Saturday replied to the same, saying he isn’t absconding but in self-quarantine and cannot join the probe till the Markaj is locked up.

Maulana Saad, in his written statement, has termed the incident of Jamaat headquarters guests being positive for coronavirus, “a co-incidence” only.

“This is a co-incidence. As soon as we got to know about the coronavirus, we banned the entry of guests in the headquarters. We have a record of every guest. The Jamaat headquarters made all possible efforts to send back all the guests to their homes,” Maulana Saad said in his statement.

The reply to the notice was handed over by Maulana Saad’s son and Jamaat Committee member Mohd. Yusuf Saad, who claimed that the statement was drafted in consultation with the Maulana.

According to a source, in a reply to the crime branch on Friday, the Jamaat headquarters said, “The police have sealed the markaz. Most of the agents of Maulana Saad are now in quarantine homes. Hence, it is impossible to provide these evidences. So, when the Jamaat headquarters will be opened and all managers will be assembled, the crime branch will be provided with the evidences”.

The Tablighi Jamaat event at the Nizamuddin has emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases from across India were linked to the gathering including deaths in Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.

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COVID-19: UP CM Yogi takes strict measures; India records highest surge in cases

Describing members of the Islamic missionary sect Tablighi Jamaat, which organised a religious gathering in Delhi linked to hundreds of coronavirus cases,as “enemies of humanity”, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered charges under the tough law that allows detention without charges for up to a year.

“They will not follow the law, nor will they accept order. They are the enemies of humanity, what they have done with women healthcare providers is a heinous crime. We are invoking the National Security Act against them, we will not spare them,” Yogi Adityanath said.

Yogi’s comments came after allegations of assault on nurses and obscene behaviour of the sect members, at a hospital in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.The Tablighi members, quarantined at Ghaziabad’s MMG Hospital, have been accused of endangering staff by violating coronavirus precautions. They passed lewd comments, roamed about without clothes in the isolation ward, used expletives, refused medicine and kept asking for beedis and cigarettes, according to a written complaint to the police by the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to distribute free masks to the poor amid the COVID-19 crisis. Almost 66 crore masks will be distributed to the poor in different parts of the state. With the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country, the government has made it mandatory for people to wear masks while stepping out of their homes.

On Friday, India witnessed its highest spike in Covid-19 cases with 478 people testing positive, on the same day. The country reported 600 fresh cases in last 24 hours. The total number of COVID-19 patients in India surged to 2,902. Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh registered a huge jump in number of cases this week. The death toll in the country climbed to 68.

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Coronavirus: Modi asks Indians to light ‘diyas’ on 5th April to mark the fight

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the 10th day of the national lockdown. He spoke to the entire country through a 10-minute video message on Friday morning at 9 am.

The PM urged people not to ignore social distancing while lighting ‘diya’ or lamp or mobile’s light on April 5.

I request all ofyou to switch of all the lights of your house on April 5 at 9 pm for 9 minutes, and just light a candle, ‘diya’,  or mobile’s flashlight, to mark our fight against coronavirus,” said PM Narendra Modi.

He further requested people not to come down and form a crowd to do so and rather carry out the practice in their balconies.

Today when crores of people are inside homes, then some of us may think how will they fight this battle against COVID-19 alone. Such questions might come up in your mind? But please remember, none of us is alone. The strength of 130 crores of Indians is with each one of us, says PM Narendra Modi.

Modi also thanked the nation for the unprecedented discipline and sense of service by people during coronavirus lockdown. “We are not alone in the fight against the novel coronavirus,” said Modi.

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All you need to know about Tablighi Jamaat and its COVID-19 connection

After India saw a sudden spurge in the COVID-19 cases following the congregation of Islamic preachers at Nizamuddin in New Delhi,the organisers of the Tablighi Jamaat have come under scanner of the authorities for the alleged violation of various guidelines.

The congregation of preachers that took place in early March in Banglawali Masjid in Nizamuddin area where Markaz (headquarters) of the Jamaat is located, allegedly was marked by over 800 foreign nationals from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan.

So far 10 participants of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation including a Filipino national have succumbed to coronavirus while 285 people staying at the Markaz were admitted to hospitals for suspected coronavirus cases.

You must be wondering what us Tablighi Jamaat. Here’s everything you want to know about the group:

What is Tablighi Jamaat?

Set up nearly 100 years ago in 1926, by Deobandi Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Khandhalawi as a religious reform movement, the Tablighi Jamaat aimed to inculcate “true” Islam among the “Umma” (Global Islamic community), as Muslims at the time felt that their political and religious identities were being compromised under the British Raj.

Considered as an influential spiritual movement in the world, the Jamaat is now understood to have been plagued with factionalism emanating from centres in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Jamaat sends out delegates to different countries for 40 days a year and sometimes for shorter durations. The preachers believe in person-to-person contact, so they knock on the doors of ordinary Muslims to give them the message of Islam.

How large is the group?

Tablighi Jamaat is now a global religious movement, with followers in more than 80 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and the US. With its own headquarters in every country it operates in, its global spiritual centre remains the Markaz (centre) in Delhi.

The Markaz comprises a mosque and dormitories that can accommodate 5,000 people.

In Bangladesh, it holds an event called the BiswaIjtema which is believed to be the second-largest gathering of Muslims in the world after the Haj.

The group also has some famous personalities like Shahid Afridi, Inzamam ul-Haq, Hashim Amla, among others, as its followers.

COVID-19 and Tablighi Jamaat

According to the government, over 2,000 foreigners from 70 countries arrived in India since January 1 to participate in Jamaat activities with over 1,000 got stuck at Nizamuddin due to the lockdown. Many of them had a six-month tourist visa.

After sudden announcement of ‘Janta Curfew’ on March 22 followed by a similar action by the Delhi Government and ultimately a 21-day lockdown announced by the Prime Minister, a large number of the Jamaat members got stuck at the Markaz while about 1,500 had left.

Alarm bells started ringing with the death of an Indonesian citizen who had participated in the congregation and was travelling in Telangana. He was found COVID-19 positive on March 18.

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Corona Global Update: China back at selling cats, dogs & bats; Pak media slams PM Imran and more

China back at selling cats, bats and dogs

Even as the world continues to battle the deadly Coronavirus, which first cropped up in China’s Wuhan market in December last year, the Asian epicentre for the novel virus has reopened the same market.

Media repots say, China is back to selling cats, bats and dogs at the infamous Wuhan market, which first transmitted the virus to a 55-year-old man who purchased sea food from the same ‘wet market’.

“The evidence is highly suggestive that the outbreak is associated with exposures in one seafood market in Wuhan,” the World Health Organisation had said in a statement on January 12.

However, the markets are under watchful eyes of guards, who ensure no one is able to take pictures of the blood-soaked floors, slaughtering of dogs and rabbits, and scared animals cramped in cages.

“Everyone here believes the outbreak is over and there’s nothing to worry about anymore. It’s just a foreign problem now as far as they are concerned,” a China-based correspondent was quoted by Washington Examiner.

Several scientists, medical experts and animal rights activists have called for a ban on China’s wet markets but the Asian country seems to have not learnt from its mistakes.

Pak Media slams Pak PM Imran Khan

While addressing a press conference, Pakistan Prime Minister allegedly claimed that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi apologised to his countrymen for imposing a lockdown in India, to curb Coronavirus.

On Monday, Pak PM Imran Khan addressed his nation and talked about why he is not very convinced with the idea of putting the nation under a lockdown.

The Prime Minister’s Office also put this out on Twitter. “We can see the consequences of India’s hasty decision of imposing a complete lockdown. Their government had to apologise for their unplanned decision.We must learn and fight this pandemic with wisdom and not in haste,” Pakistan PMO wrote the micro-blogging site.

Meanwhile, the truth is that PM Modi, during his monthly address via Mann Ki Baat, apologized for the inconvenience people have to face during the lockdown and not the lockdown itself.

He did not mention even for once that the decision was unplanned and he regrets it.

Pakistani media corrected Imran and called on him telling him what exactly Modi said.

US death toll crosses 4k mark

The total number of deaths in United States from the coronavirus pandemic topped 4,000 early Wednesday, more than double the number from three days earlier, according to media reports.

On Tuesday the United States exceeded the number of deaths in China, where the pandemic emerged in December before spreading worldwide.

After initially downplaying the threat from new coronavirus in the early stages of the US outbreak, President Donald Trump warned of “a very, very painful two weeks” to come for the country on Tuesday.

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How Coronavirus gave birth to ‘world of our dreams’, but we cannot live this dream!

Deaths, lockdown, infections, sanitisers, masks……this is what we have been listening to, from last almost 3 months. The world is in fear, people are dying, governments are trying, economy is crashing, but sadly, the havoc named ‘Coronovirus’ does not seem to be in the mood to subside and leave the world bringing it back to the good old days.

But, do you realise, that amid all this mayhem, we have actually been fortunate enough to live in the world that we only dreamt of! You know why? Ask yourself these questions?

When was the last time you saw that clear blue sky? When was the last time when Delhi’s air pollution levels dropped down to as low as 20 (AQI)? When was the last time when you saw swans and dolphins frolicking in the Venice canals? When was the last time when there was no news about rapes, thefts and murders?

As you begin to ponder over, you will begin to realise the answer to all above questions is ‘today’! Today, when humans have been locked down, the nature has started to cleanse itself, found ample amount of time to revert to its beauty which was getting deteriorated by humans for their selfish needs! Today when humans can’t step out, there is no crime happening, no woman is being treated like a piece of flesh on roads, no road rage, no robberies and no murders are happening.

Today when people are confined to their homes, they are spending time with their families, they are discovering their hobbies and perhaps developing their personalities…some things that were being left far behind in the craze of winning the rat race.

So now when the beautiful world has become a reality, the irony is we cannot step out to feel it…we cannot step out to breath in the fresh air…can not step out to feel the crystal-clear waters and chaos free roads.

Is this proving the fact that human is not deserving of all this. May be God is teaching us in his own way, how this ‘world of dream’ is not for humans who makes fun of mankind, treats the nature like its slave and have almost forgotten what care and brotherhood means.

This is the other side of coronavirus which is beautiful and teaches a big lesson! The other side which stresses that it was the time for humans to pay back for crossing all limits and it was high time god used his weapon to teach us.

We pray the tough times get over soon, the pandemic soon ends, the world becomes corona free….humans learn their lesson, mankind takes a rebirth and steps into a new world…the ‘world of their dreams’!

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From British PM to ‘Baby Doll singer: Celebrities who have tested positive for COVID-19

The fight against the deadly novel coronavirus is still on with countries resorting to various strict measures to overcome the pandemic. Worldwide, the number of coronavirus cases has reached more than 784,000, while nearly 38,000 have died so far. India too has seen a sharp rise in the number of cases despite the 21-day lockdown period. On Monday, India’s cumulative coronavirus infections reached 1,251, registering the highest single-day increase of 227 cases; with the death toll rising to 32.

Besides the locals, the disease has engulfed many celebrities too who are either undergoing treatment or have been self-isolated.

In the latest case, a confidant of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. Israel’s health ministry has asked to keep him in a 14-day quarantine period and test others who had come in contact with the parliamentarian.If Netanyahu has also caught the infection, is still to be figured out.

Here are other known faces that have been infected with this virus:

Boris Johnson: The British PM recently announced that he had tested positive for the virus.”Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus,” he said in a tweet.

Matt Hancock: The British health minister said on Twitter, he has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating at home with mild symptoms.

Prince Charles: The eldest son and heir to Queen Elizabeth II, showed mild symptoms of the new coronavirus. The 71-year-old and his wife Camilla, who does not have COVID-19, are currently self-isolating in Scotland.

Kanika Kapoor: The singer of ‘Baby Doll’ fame was admitted after she was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, after she returned from London. Reportedly, she is the first Indian celebrity to have become a victim of COVID-19. She is undergoing treatment for the same.

John Prine: the Grammy-winning American singer has been hospitalized for coronavirus and is in “critical” condition, his family said on March 29.

James Dolan: The American business tycoon has been diagnosed with COVID-19, becoming the first US major sports owner to test positive for the virus. The 64-year-old Dolan, who also owns the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers, is self isolating after experiencing “little to no symptoms”.

Indira Varma: The Game of Thrones star has revealed that she has tested positive for coronavirus.

Kristofer Hivju: Game of Thrones and The Fate of the Furious actor, famous for playing Tormund Giantsbane on the HBO series GoT, has revealed that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Peter Dutton: The Australia’s Home Affairs Minister said in a statement that he was diagnosed with Coronavirus.

Sophie Trudeau: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has tested positive for coronavirus, a spokesman for the prime minister said.

Tom Hanks: Hollywood actor Tom Hanks revealed that he and his wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with the deadly Coronavirus or COVID-19 in Australia.

Daniele Rugani: Juventus and Italy defender Daniele Rugani told fans ‘don’t worry, I’m fine’ after becoming the first Serie A footballer to test positive for the new coronavirus.

Nadine Dorries: UK Health Minister Dorries was the first British politician to be diagnosed with COVID-19.

Iraj Harirchi: Iran’s deputy health minister confirmed that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus, amid a major outbreak in the Islamic republic.

Idris Elba:The British actor and musician said he has tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16 in a video posted on social media and that, although he had no symptoms so far, he was isolating himself from others.

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Corona Roundup: Rahul writes to PM; Telangana to be coronavirus free soon?

Modi takes report from Kejriwal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to know about the situation at Anand Vihar where scores of people had gathered to return back to their hometowns.

Sources said Kejriwal had informed the PM that he had taken all necessary measures, including adequate supply of food and water besides shelter, to stop people from going back to their homes, but to no avail. He further told PM that the gathering happened also because UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced that he will be plying buses for transporting people back to their homes.

The massive crows has become a worry for many as it completely defeats the purpose of national lockdown under which people have been asked to stay indoor to avoid mass gatherings which will inturn break the chain and stop the spread of novel Coronavirus.

Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia have been urging people leaving the city to stay back. They also made an appeal to them to learn from the situations arising in other countries.

Rahul Gandhi writes to PM

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday said while Covid-19 was a global pandemic, India’s conditions were unique given the dependence of a large population on daily wages. The consequences of a “complete economic shutdown” will “disastrously amplify” death toll arising out of the outbreak of the pandemic.

“It is critical for us to understand that India’s conditions are unique. We will be required to take different steps than other large countries who are following a total lockdown strategy. The number of poor people in India who are dependent on a daily income is simply too large for us to unilaterally shut down all economic activity. The consequences of a complete economic shut down will disastrously amplify the death toll arising from the Covid-19 virus,” Gandhi said.

He further said, “We must immediately strengthen the social safety net and use every public resources. We have to support and shelter the working poor. Large population centres will require big dedicated hospitals with thousands of beds and ventilators. It is critical that we start setting up these structures and manufacturing the equipment that would be required, as fast as is humanly possible.”

Telangana CM makes a startling comment

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said there are 70 coronavirus positive cases reported in the state while 11 have been cured and tested negative and they shall be discharged on Monday.

Making a surprising yet positive statement, the minister assured that the state would be free of COVID-19 by 7th April. “After April 7, there will be no coronavirus patients if no new cases are reported from now. Self-control is very important in this lockdown period,” he said.

“25,937 people, who came from other countries, are under the government’s supervision. The quarantine period of these people will be completed by April 7,” he added.

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Mass migration: UP blames Delhi for the crisis, Sisodia says ‘not the time for cheap politics’

After scores of migrant workers were seen taking the long and hard road home on foot, there were various concerns that were raised in context to huge crowd that they formed at the bus stations, defeating the purpose of national lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. People also criticised the state and central governments for not handling the issue properly, announcing the lockdown without any provisions for this class.

The government of Uttar Pradesh finally took cognizance of the issue and arranged for 1,000 buses to ferry migrant labourers who are stranded on the border districts owing to a countrywide lockdown.

“Till late in the night, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was busy issuing instructions for arranging buses for the purpose,” the official said, adding that the chief minister also directed officials to arrange for food and water for such families.

The UP government, headed by BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, has blamed the Delhi government, run by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, for the development saying that the workers were leaving homes as the Delhi government cut their water and power supplies.

Reacting to this, AAP leader Manish Sisodia tweeted, “I am very sad that BJP leaders have stepped to petty politics over the coronavirus epidemic. The Yogi Adityanath government has charged that (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal has got power and water supply cut due to which people are leaving Delhi,” he said. It is time to seriously work together to save the country instead of doing “cheap politics”, Sisodia said in one of the tweets.

BJP’s Amit Malviya tweeted that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had won the Delhi assembly elections on the support of these migrants by “deceiving” them in the name of free water and electricity but has now left them to their fate in this crisis.

Meanwhile, India reported 179 fresh Covid-19 cases, highest in a single day, taking the tally to 918, and the death toll climbed to 19 on Saturday. Following this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a special contributory fund, amid looming fears of the country entering the third stage of community transmission.

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COVID-19: As single day cases double up India readies for stage 3

With over 800 coronavirus cases in the country and 17 deaths, the rise in the number of coronavirus patients has seen a sharp rise this month.Led by a rush of cases in Kerala, the daily count of new Covid-19 infections in the country zoomed past 100 for the first time on Friday.

As many as 120 fresh cases were reported from states, 39 from Kerala alone, taking the total number to 850 so far.

With the sharp surge, India has begun preparing for Stage-3 of the outbreak following recommendation from members of the COVID-19 task force, even as Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) continues to maintain that there is no evidence of community transmission in the country yet.

“I have received the report from our panel of doctors recommending measures to prepare for a potential Stage 3 outbreak of COVID-19 in Delhi. We are ramping up our capacity for an eventuality of 1,000 daily positive cases, for testing, treatment and isolation,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said during a press briefing on Friday.

“At present, things are under control, but in case it slips out of hand where the number of cases increases exponentially, we have to be ready with all the arrangements. The 5-member committee of doctors – which was set up to give us an action plan that would kick in if the city enters stage 3 of the coronavirus spread – has submitted its report,” he said.

According to the government, currently India is largely reporting cases either having a travel history to the virus hit countries or contact history with an infected person.

“When cases with no travel history or direct contact to diagnosed cases start coming in large numbers, then we take it as a beginning of community spread. Though in that sense, we are not in Stage 3, but it would be better that we do our preparations as if we are in phase-3. In case of community rise, numbers start rising exponentially,” said Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director General, Association of Healthcare Providers.

On Friday, Odisha expressed concern that the coronavirus could be advancing towards community transmission in the state. This comes after a 60-year-old man with no recent travel history tested positive.