'Not Wrong To Shoot Tablighi Jamaat Members For Evading Treatment': K'taka BJP MLA Renukacharya

Lashing out at the members of Tablighi Jamaat, Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party legislator MP Renukacharya on Wednesday suggested that they should be shot dead for escaping tests and spreading COVID-19 across the country.

This comes after the group had organized a religious congregation in the national capital last month which later became a COVID-19 hotspot with more than 1,000 positive cases across the country linked to the massive gathering.

"Members of the Tablighi Jamaat are not coming out for medical checkups and is escaping detection, but the government should not ignore them," Renukacharya suggested. "Even if he's shot, it's not wrong. Otherwise, the virus will spread in entire country. In China it started with one person."

Attacking those who have been evading tests and calling them "traitors", the MLA said: "Spreading COVID-19 is also like terrorism, and all those who are spreading the virus are traitors."

Renukacharya also added that he was not referring to all Muslims as "anti-nationals" or accusing all minorities for COVID-19, but his focus was aimed at the Jamaat.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on April 7, issued a warning, saying that nobody in the state should speak against Muslims. "This is a warning. If anyone blames the entire Muslim community for some isolated incident, I'll take action against them also without a second thought," the CM said.

On Tuesday, BJP MLA from Mahadevapura and party's general secretary of the state, Arvind Limbavali said that those who attended the religious congregation in Delhi and are not reporting to hospitals for tests should be put behind bars.

Thousands of Indians and several foreigners had attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference on March 9 and 10. The health ministry later revealed that the massive gathering had pushed up the doubling rate of cases in India to 4.1 days from the expected 7.4 days.

The Bengaluru police have registered FIRs against 19 foreigners from Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan under the Foreigners Act who attended the event for violating visa norms.

Also Read: Uttarakhand: Two Jamaat Members Booked Under Attempt To Murder Charges For Hiding Travel History