Nearly 2100 foreigners visited India for Tablighi activities from January this year, 824 went to states: MHA

With 24 people staying at Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz testing positive for coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday said that about 1,746 persons staying in Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz on March 21. Of these, 216 were foreigners.

It has said that about 2,100 foreigners visited India for activities of the organisation since January 1 this year.

"While approximately 824 of them, as on March 21, were dispersed in different parts of the country, 216 of them were staying at Nizamuddin Markaz. Others might have left the country before the lockdown," the MHA said.

A large number of Indian Tablighi Jamaat workers were also engaged in the activities of the organisation in different parts of the country. Details of these 824 foreigners had been shared on March 21 with the state police forces for identifying them, getting them medically screened and quarantining them.

MHA said they had sent an advisory to all states on March 28 and March 29.

On March 28, the MHA issued a detailed advisory to chief secretaries and DGPs of all states, as well as CP Delhi, on this issue.

The State DGPs were again advised by the Director of the Intelligence Bureau on March 29, to trace the movement of all such Tablighi workers in their area, ascertain the people coming in their contacts and take steps for their medical screening.

On March 28, police were advised to collect the names of Indian Tablighi Jamaat workers from the local coordinators, locate them on the ground, get them medically screened and quarantine them.

So far about 2,137 such persons have been identified in different states and they are being medically examined and quarantined. This process is still on and more such people would be identified and located.

Tablighi Jamaat workers, both foreigners as well Indians, indulge in activities of the organisation across the country throughout the year.

People from various nationalities particularly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan come for Tablighi activities.

All such foreign nationals normally report their arrival at Tablighi Markaz at Banglewali Mosque in Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi.

"Bureau of Immigration has been sharing (since February 1) with state authorities details of all international arrivals from affected countries based on self-declaration Form filled by them," Home Ministry said.

The Ministry said that since March 6, Bureau of Immigration had also been sharing details of all the international arrivals (both Indians and foreigners) at all the international airports in the country with the concerned state based on the permanent address mentioned in their passport, in case of Indians, and hotel address, in case of foreigners.

As per the break-up of the number of foreign Tabligh Markaz workers in different states, 24 workers are there in Andhra Pradesh, 125 in Tamil Nadu, 115 in Maharashtra, 82 in Telangana, 50 in Karnataka, 70 in West Bengal, 132 in Uttar Pradesh, 38 in Jharkhand, 115 in Haryana, 11 in Odisha, 49 in Madhya Pradesh and 13 in Rajasthan.