Coronavirus: Yogi Adityanath’s Tough Move Against Quarantined Islamic Sect Members

Some members of the Islamic missionary sect Tablighi Jamaat, which organised a religious gathering in Delhi linked to hundreds of coronavirus cases, face charges under the National Security Act (NSA) after allegations of assault on nurses and obscene behavior at a hospital in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Describing them as “enemies of humanity”, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered charges under the tough law that allows detention without charges for up to a year if the accused are seen to threaten public order.

“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.

“An incident like Indore where doctors were attacked should not be seen anywhere in the state. For this, we will take whatever action is required by law,” he said.

The Tablighi members, quarantined at Ghaziabad’s MMG Hospital, have also been accused of endangering staff by violating coronavirus precautions. They passed lewd comments, roamed about without clothes in the isolation ward and kept asking for beedis and cigarettes, according to a written complaint to the police by the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital.

In Ghaziabad, officials have tracked down 136 who attended the religious gathering last month at Markaz Nizamuddin, the Delhi headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat, which is a major coronavirus hotspot linked to nearly 400 cases and at least seven deaths. Six of them had symptoms of coronavirus and were admitted to MMG hospital on March 31. One has tested positive.

“Our nurses and paramedical staff have complained about obscene behavior by these patients,” Ravindra Singh, the chief medical officer of the hospital told NDTV.