BJP's Tiwari slams Delhi CM Kejriwal for renaming 'Markaz' to 'Special Op' in Covid list

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Monday slammed Cheif Minister Arvind Kejriwal for changing the name of Tabhligi Jamaat cases from 'Markaz Masjid' to 'Special Operation' in its daily health bulletin of COVID-19 status. Tiwari also urged Kejriwal to extend the Coronavirus lockdown till April 30 in the national capital.

Speaking to the media Tiwari said, "Changing names is an unnecessary step. Changing the name from Jamatis to Under Special Operations will create confusion and will create problems." 

Further speaking over lockdown extension he said, "Kejriwal should himself extend lockdown till April 30 in Delhi. Odisha and many states took the decision themselves, Delhi should take the step themselves."

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Delhi govt replaces the column

The Delhi government on April 11 dropped the name 'Markaz Masjid' from its daily health bulletin of COVID-19 status and replaced the column with 'Special Operation'. The Tablighi Jamaat event, which was held at Markaz building in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month, emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases from across India were linked to the gathering.

Replacing 'Markaz Masjid' with 'Special Operations' is a key development as it has come days after the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) raised the matter with the Health Department asking it to drop any mention of Tablighi Jamaat event in its daily bulletins on COVID-19 cases in Delhi.

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As per the bulletin on April 11, 712 COVID-19 cases in Delhi are related to the Tablighi Jamaat gathering which has led to a spike in cases in the national capital. The total number of positive cases in Delhi is 1154 with the death toll of 24. Meanwhile, the total number of Coronavirus cases in India on Sunday climbed to 9152, including 856 cured and 308 deaths, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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