Majority of Muslims heeded govt rules on coronavirus, says Omar Ambullah as Nizamuddin controversy rages

After several people who participated at the Tablighi Jamaat event at Markaz in Nizamuddin in Delhi tested positive for coronavirus, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that majority of Muslims in India have heeded government guidelines.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Mar 31 : After some evacuees from a Delhi-based Islamic centre were tested positive for coronavirus, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on on Tuesday said that majority of Muslims in India have heeded government guidelines.

"At first glance it would appear the #TablighiJamaat were nothing if not irresponsible in the way they went about things but that's not unique to them. The majority of Muslims in India have heeded government guidelines and advice the same as anyone else," Abdullah tweeted.

Auhorities across India have launched a massive search for hundreds of people who attended a religious event in New Delhi recently. The gathering is feared to have set off several Covid-19 clusters.

Officials evacuated more than 1,000 people from the Islamic centre, known as Markaz, in the Nizamuddin area, sending them to quarantine facilities and hospitals.

The events of the congregation, orgsed by Islamic movement called Tablighi Jamaat, began in February end and contiued till early March.

"People tweeting stuff with hash tags like Tablighi virus are more dangerous than any virus nature could ever conjure up because their minds are sick while their bodies may very well be healthy," he added.

Uttar Pradesh Police has said that search for 157 people of the state, who had participated in the Tablighi Jamaat event is on.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had said that the officials are not certain of the number of people who participated in the event but it is being estimated that 1500-1700 people had assembled at the Markaz building.

"Around 1033 people have been evacuated so far - 334 of them have been sent to the hospital and 700 sent to quarantine center. Total, 24 positive cases have been found," he had said.

( With inputs from ANI )