Manithaneya Makkal Katchi founder Prof. MH Jawahirullah on Tuesday said that COVID-19 has affected everyone and it was not proper to give it a religious twist by basing it on those who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi. Even those who did not attended the religious conference had tested positive in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Tiruppur, he pointed out.
“It is true that COVID-19 affected patients admitted in Madurai, Salem and Erode districts were related to Tablighi Jamaat. It is also true that they are all from the same religious community and that no other religious group was affected due to this. It was only after they were advised - including by me - that they should get themselves tested and isolate themselves that they have done so. Despite knowing about all this, the State Government has tried to smear a particular religious group and has tried to create fear and hate against them,” he charged in a statement.
He said that the people have been helping each other and getting together as one to fight the spread of COVID-19. “At such a time, it was condemnable that State Government has targetted a particular minority group. The State Government should apologise to the people,” he said.
