300 people from Karnataka attended Nizamuddin jamaat: Health Minister Sriramulu
Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday said about 300 people from the state had attended the religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz Masjid in New Delhi last month, and 40 of them have been identified and quarantined.
In a tweet, the Minister also said COVID-19 test reports of 12 of them have come out as negative.
Stating that government has got information about 62 Malaysia and Indonesia nationals who had attended the congregation have come to Karnataka, in an another tweet Sriramulu said, 12 of them have been identified and quarantined.
"The Home Department and the Health Department will identify and quarantine those who are staying here without going to their country," he added.
Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had last night said about 300 people from the state had attended the religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat and efforts were on to identify and quarantine them.
Stating that those who attended the congregation, including few foreign nationals have traveled to various parts of the country after it was over, Bommai in a release issued on Tuesday night said it is found that several of them have been affected by COVID-19, and 6 people had died in Telangana, while one each in Andaman and Nicobar.
"A 60-year old man from Sira in Tamukuru district of Karnataka who died last week and was positive for infection, had also attended the congregation," he said adding according to reports at least 62 foreign nationals have traveled to Karnataka.
While 12 of them have traveled back, the remaining 50 of them still here have been quarantined and are undergoing tests, he added.
According to information, at least 300 people from different parts the state had attended the congregation at Nizamuddin, Bommai said, orders have been issued to quarantine all of them.
"This is a serious development, the Home Ministry was thoroughly investigating into it, a state level special team will be formed to keep a watch on them," he added.
However, earlier on Tuesday, Additional Chief Secretary-Health and Family Welfare Department Jawaid Akhtar had said the government has so far identified 78 people from the state who were "associated" with Tablighi Jamaat and has quarantined them.
"We are not sure whether all of them attended the congregation held earlier this month, but as they might have come in contact with those who attended in one way or the other, they have been put under government quarantine," Akhtar had told reporters.
With many of them claiming that they have completed 14 days of quarantine already, we have also decided to put them for COVID-19 test, he had said adding that the 78 persons include some foreign nationals.
The state health department has also appealed to any person who has attended Tablighi Jamaat Congregation to contact 080-29711171 Arogya Sayavaani (health helpline).
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
