Owaisi slams BJP after Bombay High Court quashes FIR on 29 Tablighi Jamaat attendees

The AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday has found yet another reason to slam the ruling BJP government at the Centre while reacting to a Bombay High Court verdict. Calling a judgement by the Bombay HC as 'timely', Owaisi opined BJP responded to the Coronavirus pandemic inadequately and media shielded it from criticism. The AIMIM chief was responding on the Bombay HC judgement wherein it quashed FIR on 29 foreign nationals, who were booked for violating tourist visa condition by attending Tablighi Jamaat congregation in March this year. Owaisi claimed that the criticism of Tablighi Jamaat resulted to 'horrible hate crimes & violence' against Muslims across India. 

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The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court consisting of Justices T V Nalawade and M G Sewlikaronon August 21 quashed the FIR against 29 foreign nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event and observed that the Maharashtra police acted mechanically in the case and the state government acted under "political compulsion". The bench was hearing three separate petitions filed by the accused foreign nationals, who belong to the countries like Ghana, Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia.

The 29 foreign nationals were booked under various provisions of the IPC, the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and Foreigner's Act for allegedly violating their tourist visa conditions by attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin in the national capital.

The police, while opposing the pleas, said that post-lockdown, announcements were made at public places, asking persons who had attended the Tablighi event to come forward voluntarily for testing, but the petitioners did not do so and created a threat of spreading the coronavirus. The prosecution further argued that the accused persons were propagating Islam religion among public.

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Tablighi Jamaat members blacklisted

In April, the Ministry of Home Affairs had blacklisted 960 foreigners who were involved in Tablighi Jamaat activities despite being on a tourist visa and cancelled their Indian visas. In another subsequent decision on June 4 over 2,500 foreign nationals were blacklisted for 10 years from travelling to India for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. As per the information available, 205 FIRs have been lodged against the foreign Tablighi Jamaat members by 11 states, with many under custody.

However, As a result of the congregation, the virus spread across the country amounting to around 30% of India's total COVID-19 cases, the Health Ministry had informed after the event.

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Maulana Saad allegedly urged attendees to defy lockdown

On June 13, Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad made his first public appearance since the Nizammudin Markaz controversy broke. Maulana Saad was seen offering prayers at Delhi's Abu Bakr mosque on Friday evening. An FIR has been lodged against Maulana Saad under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897 for leading a religious congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi between March 13-15 amid the Coronavirus pandemic. As a result of the congregation, the virus spread across the country amounting to around 30% of India's total COVID-19 cases, the Health Ministry had informed earlier. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a money laundering case against Maulana Saad. 

The Markaz chief Saad had allegedly in his sermon urged Muslims to defy lockdown and come out to pray together to break the COVID-19 “curse”. He termed the pandemic as a 'conspiracy to separate Muslims and make them untouchable' but also added that those who have been detected with Coronavirus have to be quarantined.

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