Filmmakers rake up MP CM Shivraj's 'show of strength'; Anubhav Sinha joins Hansal Mehta

Attendees of a congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz testing positive for COVID-19 in various parts of India has triggered an almighty scare. While Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government was at the receiving end of criticism over the gathering taking place, even the communalism over it became a talking point, with numerous politicians reacting to it. Filmmakers like Hansal Mehta and Anubhav Sinha also had a take on it, with reference to another gathering, of the recent Madhya Pradesh government formation.

READ: Tamil Nadu: 45 People Who Attended Nizamuddin Markaz Test Positive For Coronavirus

Hansal Mehta took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party for criticising the gathering at the Nizamuddin Markaz, by posting photographs of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and his party members celebrating, and another of UP CM Yogi Adityanath speaking at an event. The National Award-winning filmmaker asked if the events were the ‘Nizamuddin congregation’, referring to the presence of a crowd, despite PM Narendra Modi urging people to stay at home and maintain social distancing to beat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anubhav Sinha reacted to the picture in Madhya Pradesh and quipped that it was not about infection but defection.

READ: Nizamuddin Congregation Participants Stayed In 16 Mosques In Delhi, Police Writes To City Govt

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The director was referring to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state that took place after MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia, who sensationally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, resigned and paved the way for Shivraj Singh Chauhan becoming the CM for the fourth time.

Though this incident had taken place a few days before the 21-day national lockdown announced the PM on March 24, various other measures to stem coronavirus, like urging people to avoid large gatherings, were already announced by various state governments and even PM Modi had spoken about it. 

READ: Shivraj Chouhan Takes Over As CM: Kamal Nath Extends Wishes; Digvijaya Singh Cries Foul

Meanwhile, six persons in Telangana have died after attending the congregation at Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz from March 13-15. The other state governments are in process of identifying the persons who attended the event and quarantining them. 

Reports claimed over 3000 persons were present at the Tabligh Jamaat mosque around the time of the congregation, with the Home Ministry stating that 2,137 such persons present there till March 21, were identified, with 157 of them foreign nationals from Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that 24 persons who tested positive in the state were from those who attended the congregation. He added that 1,548 have been evacuated from the Nizamuddin Markaz, with 441 of them being hospitalised for symptoms while the rest are said to be in quarantine.

READ: 40 Nizamuddin Markaz Attendees Traced In Haryana; 4 Test Positive, Rest Quarantined