AP locates 369 participants of Delhi Tablighi Jamaat event

Even as the authorities are rushing to locate the persons from the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Telangana who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference at Nizamuddin in Delhi, the AP government has managed to locate 369 people from the state.

With most of the COVID-19 affected persons in AP turning out to be the participants or a contacts of a participant of the congregation held between March 15-17, the government has intensified efforts to quarantine them on a war footing.

As per the statement issued by the state government, 369 persons from Andhra Pradesh had attended the Mashoora or convocation conducted in Nizamuddin.

According to government sources, this year, about 1,500 to 2,000 Tablighi Jamaat

members from AP and Telangana, averaging between 25 to 30 members from each district are estimated to have participated in the religious convention where participants stay together and involve in religious discourse. A Tablighi Jamaat leader from Hyderabad had supervised the programme from AP and Telangana.

As per the district-wise break up of people who attended the meet, the highest number was from Kurnool with 107, followed by Krishna with 40, Guntur with 37, Nellore 33, and Prakasam 30.

From East Godavari, 27 people had participated while there were 24 attendees from Kadapa, 22 from Chittooru, 18 from West Godavari, 14 from Ananthapur and Visakhapatanam respectively, and three persons from Vizianagaram. Not a single person had attended the event from the Srikakulam district.

Of these, one person from the Krishna district died on March 29, three persons are under home quarantine, four persons are under observation in hospital, one has shown symptoms, while two persons are being treated for typhoid.

Most of the members reached their respective places in AP and Telangana between March 18 - 20. So far, AP has reported 40 cases of COVID-19 positive cases.

In neighbouring Telangana too, the state government on Monday had announced the death of 6 persons, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi.