Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday, May 2, held the Tablighi Jamaat congregation members responsible for spreading COVID-19 in the country. He also said that while being infected with a virus is not a crime, but hiding it, is a crime. He added that action would be taken against those hiding the disease.

Blaming the Islamic sect for the spread of COVID-19, Adityanath said that over 1,000 cases in UP are related to the Jamaat. Speaking at a programme of a news channel, Adityanath stated that the role of the Tablighi Jamaat was the ‘most condemnable’.

While speaking at the programme Adityanath said, ‘The role of Tablighi Jamaat was most condemnable. To get a disease is not a crime but to hide an infectious disease is a crime. And this crime has been done by those associated with the Tablighi Jamaat.’

‘In Uttar Pradesh and other places where the spread of the coronavirus has been seen, Tablighi Jamaat is behind it. Had they not hidden the disease and went about like its carriers, then perhaps we would have controlled the coronavirus outbreak to a large extent,’ he added.

Uttar Pradesh has so far reported 2,766 cases of COVID-19. Of this, 802 people have recovered and 50 have died.

The congregation was organised at a 100-year-old mosque in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area in March. It was attended by thousands of people who travelled across the country after the rites and some of them carried the virus, infecting many others. In a bid to find the hiding jamaats, the Kanpur police on April 11, had announced a cash reward of Rs. 10,000 for the people helping the police.

In India, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surged to 46,437, of which 12,847 patients have recovered and 1,566 have succumbed to the virus.

Also Read: Nearly 30% Coronavirus Cases Linked to Tablighi Jamaat Gathering In Delhi: Health Ministry