Not wrong to shoot hiding attendees of Jamaat event: Karnataka BJP MLA

A BJP legislator in Karnataka on Tuesday alleged that some of the attendees of the Tablighi- Jamaat event in Delhi have been 'purposely evading' testing for coronavirus despite appeals, and said such it was "not wrong" to shoot such people. Accusing them of indirectly indulging in an act of terrorism, MLA M P Renukacharya, who is also a political secretary to Chief Minister Yediyurappa, however said, it was wrong to blame the whole community for the misdeeds of few. Tablighi-Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month has turned out to be thehotbedof COVID-19 spread in the country.

"... one thing is true, some of those who had been to congregation at Nizamuddin, despite appeal made by PM and CM, purposely are trying evade citing religious reasons," he said. Speaking to reporters in Davangere, the BJP MLA said it looks like while dying they want to kill others also. If those who had returned after attending the Jamaat had gone to the doctor there would'thavebeen any problem, Renukacharya said. Charging some of the attendees with indulging in "anti-national" deeds, he said it was not wrong to say that those spreading virus are indirectly indulging in terrorism.

Further calling those purposely spreading virus on religious grounds as "traitors," he said, "those who attended Tablighi-Jamaat congregation and have not come out for treatment and escaped, government should not protect them.. it is not wrong to shoot them with a bullet." "Because of some people, everyone, whole country will have to suffer... at leastnow they have to cooperate,"he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa during an interview to a news channel on Monday had warned of action against those blaming the entire Muslim community for isolated incidents. BJP state General Secretary Arvind Limbavali questioning the intentions of attendees of Tablighi-Jamaat congregation, who have not come out for medical consultations, urged the government take strict action against them. "enough time has been given, those who have not come out arrest them in 24 hours... they are the ones who are cause of spreading... there is no question of any religion in this, this is a matter of health of the society and state," he said.

On Tablighi-Jamaat congregation attendees, the government said from around 920 people samples that have been collected so far, 623 are negative, 27 positive, remaining results are still awaited. The government is yet to share total number of people from the state who had attended the congregation.