Not wrong to shoot Nizamuddin Markaz attendees who aren’t complying with COVID-19 testing: Karnataka MLA

By Team Newsable | First Published Apr 8, 2020, 11:54 AM IST

Karnataka’s Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal made a controversial remark and asked Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa to shoot down Nizamuddin Markaz attendees, who are not complying with COVID-19 testing

Bengaluru: 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.

Calling those spreading virus on religious grounds as traitors, Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said, "Those who attended Tablighi-Jamaat congregation and have not come out for treatment and have instead escaped, the government should not protect them.. it is not wrong to shoot them with a bullet."

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

"Because of some people, everyone, the whole country will have to suffer... at least now they have to cooperate," he stated. Meanwhile, chief minister Yediyurappa, during an interview to a news channel on Monday had warned of action against those blaming the entire Muslim community for isolated incidents.

Also watch: Coronavirus: No graveyard visits - Muslims told to pray at home on Shab-e- Barat

Accusing non-compliant Tablighi Jamaat attendees of indirectly indulging in an act of terrorism, MLA MP Renukacharya, who is also political secretary to chief minister BS Yediyurappa, 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 the hotbed of COVID-19 spread in the country. "One thing is true, some of those who had been to the congregation at Nizamuddin, despite appeals made by PM and CM, are purposely trying to evade citing religious reasons," he said.

Speaking to reporters in Davanagere, he said that 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 wouldn't have been 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.

Also watch: COVID-19: Post Nizamuddin incident, section of Muslims in Karnataka beaten up, ostracised from villa

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 to 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 the cause of the spread... there is no question of any religion in this, this is a matter of health of the society and state," he said.

Leader of opposition, Siddaramaiah reacted on the issue and said leaders like Yatnal and Renukacharya should be arrested for their political conspiracy.

On Tablighi-Jamaat congregation attendees, the government said that 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 the total number of people from the state who had attended the congregation.

With PTI Inputs

For more reliable and latest news